Artist Es Devlin honors the power of learning with a powerful rotating sculpture commissioned for the 2025 Salone del Mobile. Library of Light is located in the 17th-century Cortile d'Onore at Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera as an homage to light and the unique way that libraries allow our imaginations to soar.
Devlin's kinetic sculpture is a cylindrical moving work of art, which has a 60-foot diameter and contains 3,200 books on illuminated bookshelves. By day, the mirrors affixed to the top of the sculpture bounce light on the historic sculptures of the courtyard. At night, the piece lights up, and LED screens run snippets of text from this library. Readings, including one recorded by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch and another by Devlin herself, activate the space.
“I have always experienced libraries as silently, intensely vibrant places where minds and imaginations soar, while clutched like kites by their seated bodies,” says Devlin. “This kinetic sculpture reflects the synaptic connections being forged, the resonances and associations at play within the minds of a temporary community of readers.”
The installation's location is fitting, as the courtyard acts as the intersection of three cultural centers—Pinacoteca di Brera, the Braidense National Library, and the Academy of Fine Arts. In connection with the theme of this year's Salone del Mobile, “Thought for Humans,” Italian bookseller Feltrinelli carefully curated and donated all of the volumes included on the shelves. Throughout the course of the installation, the public will also participate in this collective learning effort by adding their own books to the shelves, which will then become part of Milan's library system.
“Library of Light is a celebration of knowledge understood in all its vitality, as a movement from one person to another, as a driver of development and growth, both individual and collective,” shares Alessandra Carra, CEO of Feltrinelli. “Books are at the heart of our lives: they allow us to change, advance, build, and connect with each other. For this installation, we have chosen titles from poetry, nonfiction, and fiction publishers belonging to the group: books necessary to understand the present and build the future.”
Throughout the two weeks that Devlin's work is on display, it will become a stage for culture, with talks and events that touch on everything from the tradition of weaving to reflections on the responsibility of creatives toward humankind. In this way, from first inspiration to full realization, Devlin's Library of Light is a true celebration of knowledge.
Artist Es Devlin honors the power of learning with a powerful rotating sculpture commissioned for the 2025 Salone del Mobile.
Library of Light is located in the 17th-century Cortile d'Onore at Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera as an homage to light and the unique way that libraries allow our imaginations to soar.
Devlin's kinetic sculpture is a cylinder-shaped moving work of art with a 60-foot diameter and 3,200 books on illuminated bookshelves.
