Es Devlin’s installation inside the Cortile d'Onore at the Pinacoteca di Brera

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 Mystic Heaven by 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.

During the two weeks the installation is open, Library of Light will be transformed into a stage for thought and dialogue, hosting a series of meetings that will interweave art, literature, craftsmanship and reflections on our time. Through the voices of artists, writers, curators and innovators, the library will become a place in which ideas take shape, become cross-pollinated and multiply, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a constantly evolving cultural experience. 

Free entrance, from April 7th to April 21st, 9 am – 9 pm.