Es Devlin "Library of Light": Light of Thought in the Courtyard of Brera, Milan

China Economic Report: On the occasion of the 2025 Euroluce International Lighting Exhibition, Salone del Mobile joined hands with Pinacoteca di Brera, La Grande Brera and the Feltrinelli Group to present the shocking and dynamic installation work of British artist and designer Es Devlin - "Library of Light".

This 18-meter-diameter rotating cylindrical device is located in the center of the 17th-century Brera Honor Courtyard (Cortile d 'Onore). It builds a luminous "beacon of thought" with more than 3,000 books, paying tribute to the library as an eternal symbol of human spiritual exploration.

Devlin transformed the bookshelf image of the Braidense National Library into dynamic sculptures inspired by the famous quote from the Italian writer Umberto Eco, "Books are the compass of the soul, pointing to countless unreached realms." The inclined mirror on the top of the device rotates with the structure during the day, refracting the sunlight to courtyard statues, colonnades and corners of the building that have never been touched by sunlight; at night, the interweaving of light and shadow, projecting a flowing "thing theater" on the wall.

Devlin said: "The library is where vitality is stirred in silence. The readers are tied to their bodies like kites, but their minds are flying freely. This work tries to capture the synaptic resonance and connection in the mind of readers' community." The installation pays special tribute to Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an 18th-century Italian female scholar. She is the only female knowledge seeker in the courtyard to be remembered by a standing statue, and has studied the natural resonance frequency of light and discovered the "Agnesi curve".

Devlin sighed: "It was not until last year that I knew that this wise man who traveled through the ages with courage. The Library of Light hoped to move her existence from the edge of history to the core of the contemporary vision." The 3,000 books embedded in the installation were donated by the Feltrinelli Group on the theme of "human thought" and will be included in the Milan Public Library System in the future. (Contributed by: Milan International Furniture Exhibition)