“Books are the compass of the mind, they point to countless worlds yet to be explored.” This quote by Umberto Eco inspired Library of Light, the installation entrusted by Salone del Mobile.Milano 2025 to British artist and designer Es Devlin for one of Milan's most symbolic and evocative spaces: the Pinacoteca di Brera, a treasure trove of art, history and thought.
Es Devlin, the 'Poetess of Light', conceived the work, a monumental kinetic installation that climbs the high shelves of the Braidense National Library.
Devlin’s luminous rotating sculpture is located in the centre of the 17th century Cortile d'Onore, which connects the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Braidense National Library and the Academy of Fine Arts. It is an 18 meter diameter revolving cylindrical sculpture formed of illuminated book shelves containing over 2.000 volumes. During the day, while the structure turns, the angled mirrored plane at the top of Devlin’s cylindrical sculpture will reflect the sun’s light into the columns, the statues of the portico and parts of the building never previously penetrated by the rays of the sun. At night, its illuminated structure creates shadow plays on the walls of the courtyard.
Es Devlin said: “I have always experienced libraries as silently intensely vibrant places where minds and imaginations soar, while clutched like kites by their seated bodies. This kinetic sculpture reflects the synaptic connections being forged, the resonances and associations at play within the minds of a temporary community of readers. As Jorge Luis Borges said, “I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all that I have loved; all the cities I have visited.” Es Devlin continued: “I found amidst the Cortile’s statues of celebrated seekers of knowledge and enlightenment only one female scholar: Maria Gaetana Agnesi. She became renowned across Europe for her study of natural resonant frequencies, including the behaviour of light, drawing a curve that became known as ‘la versiera di Agnesi’ (famously mistranslated as the "Witch of Agnesi,”). Later in life she wrote a guide to fusing spirituality with intellect through sustained attention and focus. I now find so much to learn from her life and practice, her navigation of her times with grace and courage, and yet, until I encountered her statue in the Cortile last year I had no knowledge of her existence. Library of Light seeks to bring her presence from the periphery to the centre of the Cortile”.
Es Devlin, ©Victor Picon Cartier
Devlin’s sense of the vitality of libraries is expressed through a series of collective readings including The Order of Time, by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, read in the recorded voice of the British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Devlin’s own voice will contribute phrases from the writings of Maria Gaetana Agnesi. Their voices will be underscored by a composition by British duo Polyphonia, with solo violin drawn from Beethoven’s 1806 Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61.
Encompassing these voices is a firmament of over 2,000 books selected and donated by Feltrinelli on the theme of Thought for Humans., chosen by the Salone del Mobile as the common thread running through the 2025 edition. Every day, at 8.00pm, visitors will be able to listen to readings “recited” by the library itself while following the text running horizontally across an LED display. Visitors can browse the books and donate their own, helping to expand this public archive during the days open to the general public, books that will become part of the Milan Library System, continuing their journey through the hands and minds of other readers. A gift to the city, commissioned by the Salone del Mobile, with the contribution of Feltrinelli, in collaboration with the Pinacoteca di Brera and La Grande Brera.
Es Devlin. Library of Light
7th – 21st April
Pinacoteca di Brera – Cortile d’Onore
A project by Salone del Mobile in collaboration with Pinacoteca di Brera and La Grande Brera With contribution of Feltrinelli
Free entrance – 9 am – 9 pm
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