Es Devlin on her luminous new work in Milan: ‘During the evenings, something special happens’

The Poetess of Light truly lives up to her name, dressed in yellow and bathed in a golden glow that gently warms Milan on the morning we meet to speak. Invited by Salone del Mobile, Es Devlin presents one of the most anticipated projects of the week: a monumental installation titled ‘Library of the Light’, hosted in one of Milan’s iconic cultural spaces, the Pinacoteca di Brera. Upon learning of the venue, the artist and stage designer wanted to explore its origins. Its name derives from pinakothēkē, she tells me, a Greek term meaning a storage box for painted boards.

‘Last year, when I first visited the Pinacoteca di Brera, the density of light overwhelmed me,’ Devlin says. ‘It’s a multi-layered place that contains at least five worlds in one: it has many libraries, a number of art galleries, and an art school with courses in fine art, scenic painting, stage design.’

Es Devlin unveils ‘Library of Light’ at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan

Officially established in 1809, the Pinacoteca lives within the historic Palazzo di Brera, which also contains several other cultural institutions: the Braidense National Library, the Astronomical Observatory, the Botanical Garden, and – as evidenced by the stream of young visitors carrying backpacks – the Academy of Fine Arts. It’s like a parallel universe in the heart of Milan, she explains. Just outside, people are out on the streets – eating, drinking, shopping – while inside, it feels like you’ve stepped into another world: ‘When you enter Brera, it's as if the traces of conversation, discovery, building of knowledge, and revelation – whether expressed in light, paint, manuscript, hand-painted text, printed text, or even microfiche – have been stored here for centuries.’

Her ‘Library of the Light’ is an 18m revolving cylindrical sculpture formed of luminous shelves containing over 3,000 books. It’s set within the imposing 17th-century Cortile d'Onore, where a statue of Napoleon by Canova as Mars the Peacemaker stands athletically in the middle of the courtyard. ‘The statues placed around the courtyard are all celebrated scholars holding instruments of knowledge: compasses, books, maps or globes,’ Devlin explains. ‘You’ll find just one woman, Maria Gaetana Agnesi – she’s on the right as you come in. She’s quietly sitting there, not holding anything. She's not got any arms, actually. Just the bust. I came away from the visit thinking, I need to learn more about her – she might be an interesting point of departure for this project.’

Whenever Devlin approaches a new project, she immerses herself in research. This time, she discovered the brilliant mind of Agnesi, known for her groundbreaking 1748 calculus textbook, as well as the later Il Cielo Mistico, a more contemplative spiritual work. ‘It's astonishing that someone who was so devoted to maths and calculus was also deep in this ecstatic relationship with her faith,’ Devlin says. ‘I'm genuinely interested in that, because I think that we are all holding our incompatible positions together, every minute.’

Another key source of inspiration was psychiatrist and neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and His Emissary and The Matter With Things. Devlin lights up as she speaks about his theory of the divided brain, on how the two hemispheres have two modes of paying attention to the world, and two different perspectives.

‘I’m often exploring this conjunction between circles and squares – between cubes that rotate or, in this case, a revolving circular form within a very cuboid, rectilinear, formal environment,’ Devlin says. ‘At some level, you could say that the circle resonates through all of us, probably because it relates to our planet. Whereas the roots of the square form might have more to do with everything humanity has imposed on the planet: physical structures, architectural structures, legal systems, penal codes – you know, everything we’ve designed.’

Part of the installation will feature collective readings, including excerpts from The Order of Time by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, voiced by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Devlin herself will contribute readings from Agnesi’s writings. Visitors are also invited to browse and donate books to expand this public archive – books that will be integrated into the Milan Library System and continue their journey in the hands of new readers. According to Devlin, people remember how they felt when they received a piece of information more than the information itself. That’s why her work always seeks to fuse knowledge with emotion: ‘What’s really a privilege about being invited to create a public artwork in a place where people can move around freely is that, when you see a public artwork in a site like this, its trace always stays with you in the future – even when it’s gone.’

Her installation is designed to leave a lasting impression. The angled mirrored plane at the top of the cylindrical bookshelf in her library can reflect the sun’s light, so the experience will change depending on the time of day you visit: ‘Daytime is going to be great, but in the evening, oh! During the evenings, something special happens.’

After dark, visitors are invited to stay beyond the usual 7.15pm closing time to witness light streaming from the library, casting poetic shadows across the courtyard’s columns and statues. ‘The birds start singing in a very particular way as dusk sets in,’ says Devlin. ‘Light and shade become very distinct, the sky turns a particularly deep blue, and the lights of the library really start to contrast against it. It’s truly a magical moment.’

‘Library of the Light’ by Es Devlin is on view at Pinacoteca di Brera until 21 April 2025

Salone del Mobile 2025 takes place 8-13 April. Check our full Milan Design Week 2025 guide for the must-sees