Mapping the galaxy density fluctuations in the distant universe and picturing their time evolution is challenging and, up to now, has fallen into the realm of numerical simulations. I will report on the VIMOS VLT Deep Survey which is charting the distribution of visible matter over an unprecedented volume covering ~70% of the visible radius of the Universe. A rich three-dimensional texture including massive structures emerges also at such early times, indicating that the galaxy large-scale spatial distribution represents a stable configuration through cosmic epochs. I will show how we have quantified the distribution of luminous objects via their probability distribution function and measured, for the first time, the evolution of the non-linear galaxy bias between galaxies and matter. Finally I will show how the evolution of the low order moments of the galaxy PDF (variance and skewness) reveals the expected time-dependent fingerprint of gravitational instability in the high redshift universe.