Es Devlin’s Other Worlds at London’s Design Museum

Es Devlin, renowned for her innovative stage designs and multi-disciplinary artistic practice, is presenting her first European retrospective at London’s Design Museum from October 2, 2026, through April 4, 2027. The exhibition, titled "Other Worlds," offers a compelling synthesis of her extensive career spanning stage productions, art installations, and collaborative creative projects.

Devlin’s work defies simple categorization. While originally gaining acclaim as a stage designer for theater, opera, and live music performances, she has increasingly concentrated on creating immersive art installations. Her collaborations include high-profile artists such as Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, U2, Beyoncé, and Mika, alongside major institutions like the Metropolitan Opera in New York, London’s National Theatre, and the Bregenzer Festspiele in Austria.

"Other Worlds" opens with a cinematic experience tailored to engage visitors as participants, rather than mere observers. Guests enter a dramatic red space before moving into a meticulously recreated version of Devlin’s own studio. This introductory segment combines sound, light, and video, inviting visitors to experience the artist’s creative environment and the narrative of her life and career, thereby framing their perspective for the rest of the exhibit.

Central to the exhibition is the "Infinite Library," a striking installation composed of 2,000 books arranged in a triangular formation that slowly rotates beneath a vast circular mirror. The books, provided by Penguin Random House UK, form a vibrant rainbow and include titles that have influenced Devlin’s artistic vision. Among them are works by James Gleick, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, and David Abram, connecting literary inspiration with visual and spatial artistry.

Beyond the centerpiece, the retrospective showcases approximately 5,000 objects, including drawings, sketches, models, and technical drafts spanning Devlin’s diverse projects over the years. This extensive archive was curated by Johanna Agerman Ross, Danielle Thom, and Margherita Dosi Delfini, with significant input from Devlin’s studio team. The collection offers insight into her process and evolution, highlighting recurring thematic forms such as lines of light, circles, and revolving cubes.

Devlin’s studio operates as a collaborative hub where a dedicated team shapes concepts into technical realities. This group of eight designers, predominantly women, contributes extensively to the production and preservation of her works, underscoring the collective nature of her creative output.

Reflecting broader shifts in artistic practice, Devlin’s approach embraces multidisciplinary methods, blurring boundaries between traditional genres such as painting, sculpture, stage design, and digital art. She describes herself as an “everythingist,” a term adopted to signify a Renaissance-like engagement with multiple forms of creative expression rather than specialization.

Currently, Devlin continues to balance large-scale commissions with smaller museum installations. Recent projects include "The Everythingists" at V&A East Storehouse, running until October 18, 2026, and upcoming exhibitions at Soho House. Concurrently, she remains active in live performance design, contributing to Olivia Rodrigo’s tour and the production of Don Giovanni at the Opera House.

Es Devlin’s "Other Worlds" invites audiences to navigate spaces where literature, light, movement, and sound converge, embodying her belief that artistic practice is inherently shaped by the experiences and histories of others. This retrospective not only celebrates her past accomplishments but also signals her ongoing commitment to creating environments that challenge and expand the boundaries of contemporary art and design.