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A new installation by Es Devlin — the artist and set designer who's worked on major West End plays, and U2's recent show at the Sphere in Vegas— comes to central London this Friday (4 October).
Over the past four months, Devlin has been making large-scale chalk and charcoal portraits of 50 Londoners who have experienced forced displacement from their homelands. The portraits go on display in the beautiful 18th century St Mary Le Strand church, as Congregation, a free installation running from 4-9 October 2024.
Devlin's process was to draw each of the sitters for 45 minutes without speaking, thus seeing them through the eyes of a stranger. "I am drawing my own perspectives and biases," says Devlin. After that, each subject spoke to Devlin about their lives in London, and their journeys from more than 25 countries, including Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Drawing resumed, with a fresh angle opened up to Devlin.
Each of the sitters will appear in towering form at one end of the church. Each will be shown holding a box, which contains a projected animated sequence which they have invited Devlin to envisage. The portraits are also accompanied by a soundscape composed by Polyphonia, and featuring poetry by the Kinshasa-born poet JJ Bola, as well as extracts from Recomposed by Max Richter, Vivaldi's Four Seasons (which Devlin played during drawing sessions) and a reworking of Anton Bruckner's sacred motet Locus Iste (This Place).
Explaining Congregation, Devlin says: "I was moved in 2022 by the generosity of spirit with which we, as a country and as individuals, offered support to those displaced by the war in Ukraine. I wanted to understand why we have not yet been drawn to show an equivalent abundance of support to those displaced in comparable circumstances from other countries including Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and many more."
Free public choral performances take place just outside the church for the duration of the installation, at 7pm each evening (barring Monday 7 October).
Congregation, St Mary Le Strand, Friday 4-Wednesday 9 October 2024, 11am-9pm, free
