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Philippe Petit
High Wire Artist & Master of the Impossible
Philippe Petit
High Wire Artist & Master of the Impossible
Biography
From his legendary 1974 high wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to an Oscar-nominated film and highly viewed TED Talk, Renaissance man Philippe Petit continues to amaze the world with his artistry and eloquence as a motivational speaker. Combining his talents for storytelling, drawing, poetry, audience participation and theater with a lifetime of captivating tales and death-defying adventures, Petit’s unique and highly customizable presentations celebrate creativity and challenge all of us to defy the impossible.
Born in France, Petit pursued magic, juggling, fencing and rock climbing before teaching himself tightrope walking at the age of 16. Despite being a voracious learner, Petit was expelled from five schools in his youth. Self-taught in Spanish, German, Russian and English, he also developed a keen appreciation of architecture and engineering while performing on five continents. Petit’s first “coup” was walking between the towers of Notre Dame in Paris in 1971. He followed with a walk between the pylons of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, setting the stage for “the artistic crime of the century,” his Twin Towers walk a quarter of a mile above the sidewalks of New York. Petit’s book, To Reach the Clouds (re-titled Man on Wire in paperback), recounts that epic adventure. It was also the basis for the 2009 Academy Award-winning documentary, Man on Wire. In 2015, Petit was portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the feature film, The Walk, directed by Robert Zemeckis. Petit went on to perform around the world, including a walk across the Seine to the second story of the Eiffel Tower and between the Jewish and Arab quarters of Jerusalem. He also continued to write about creativity and his life philosophies. His tenth book, Creativity: The Perfect Crime, is a manifesto on the creative process, revealing unconventional ways of approaching creative endeavors. Petit has also composed an e-book for TED Books, entitled Cheating the Impossible: Ideas and Recipes from a Rebellious High-Wire Artist.
Believing that “life should be lived on the edge of life,” Petit delights audiences with his humor, tales of overcoming challenges and his indomitable spirit. (“It’s impossible, that’s for sure. So let’s start working!”) A world-class performer with an outlaw sensibility, he often incorporates feats ranging from magic and poetry to pick-pocketing to illustrate his points. He is also known for his unique “frescoes,” drawn during his talks, that feature key words and concepts with whimsical drawings. These signed works of art are later proudly displayed in company headquarters around the world—a souvenir of an unforgettable encounter with one of the most remarkable people of our time.
Speaker Videos
TEDTalk: The Journey Across the High Wire
Speech Topics
Creativity: The Perfect Crime
Mikhail Baryshnikov said of Petit’s book, “He is an inspiration to all who dare to dream of the seemingly impossible.” Well before his epic 1974 walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, Philippe Petit had become an artist who answered first and foremost to the demands of his craft — not only on the high wire, but also as a magician, street juggler, visual artist and writer. Making the audience his accomplice, Petit reveals new and unconventional ways of approaching creative endeavors, from generating and shaping ideas to reinventing problem solving, to finally pulling off the “coup” itself—executing a finished work. An inspiring presentation for both artists and ordinary mortals in search of fresh ways to tackle challenges and embrace possibilities.
Man on Wire: The Pursuit of Creativity, Excellence, Innovation and More
In this highly customizable presentation, Philippe Petit revolves motivational storytelling around his signature “fresco” of words and whimsical drawings. Choosing from a long list of themes that range from “fear”, “faith” and “passion” to “change”, “problem solving,” “breaking the rules” or “questioning the question,” Petit shares stories from his remarkable life and high wire adventures, while also creating a unique piece of art. At the close of the talk, he signs the fresco, makes it available for audience photos and gives it to the client for display in their offices.
Cheating the Impossible to Find Your Dreams
Philippe Petit has taught himself magic, juggling and the high wire. He speak six languages, has published 10 books, draws, practices lock picking, directs plays, was seen bullfighting in Peru and is an accomplished pickpocket! He also knows how to dance in the face of death-defying high-wire challenges. The lessons that he has learned traveling and performing on five continents are truly life changing. In this highly motivational talk, he focuses on what we all must do to overcome our fears, cheat the impossible, and summon the focus, tenacity, passion and courage to pursue our dreams.
Testimonials
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Performance Strategist for the World's Top Leaders & Brands, Producer, Performing Artist