Es Devlin, a celebrated artist and stage designer known for her immersive installations, is currently captivating audiences with Screenshare, a fresh commission at The Vinyl Factory: Reverb exhibition at 180 Studios in London. The work, which opened on May 22, 2024, and runs through March 2, 2025, invites visitors to engage with a unique cinematic experience and take a piece of it home with them, reflecting Devlin’s ongoing exploration of memory, collaboration, and the evolving nature of visual storytelling. This exhibition of Es Devlin’s work is part of a larger celebration of the intersection of art and sound.
Screenshare is built around a “screen” constructed from recreations of Devlin’s personal sketchbooks, spanning 35 years of creative process. Visitors are invited to watch a short film, an anthology of Devlin’s installation work from the past 16 years, accompanied by a soundtrack excerpted from An Atlas of Es Devlin, a record created in collaboration with Polyphonia last year, according to Devlin. The innovative element lies in the invitation to then detach a page from the “screen” – a physical fragment of her artistic journey – to take away with them.
A Personal Archive Brought to Life
The sketches themselves offer a glimpse into Devlin’s multifaceted life and artistic influences. “The sketches have been made over the past 35 years: some are drawings of London species, some drawings of my kids, lots of process drawings, traces of me trying to work out ideas or share them with collaborators,” Devlin explained. This deeply personal element transforms the installation into a tangible representation of her creative evolution, offering a rare intimacy with the artist’s thought process. The work underscores the idea that creative work is rarely a singular event, but rather a cumulative process built on layers of inspiration and experimentation.
Continuing a Collaborative Relationship
Devlin’s involvement with The Vinyl Factory extends beyond Screenshare. She previously collaborated with the organization on BlueSkyWhite, a commission that was part of the LUX exhibition at 180 Studios in 2021, demonstrating a sustained creative partnership. This ongoing relationship highlights The Vinyl Factory’s commitment to supporting innovative and boundary-pushing artistic endeavors. The Vinyl Factory details Devlin’s process and inspiration behind Screenshare in a recent interview.
The Vinyl Factory: Reverb – A Multi-Sensory Experience
Screenshare is just one component of the larger The Vinyl Factory: Reverb exhibition, which features 17 audio-visual installations and experiences. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of artists, including Carsten Nicolai, Caterina Barbieri, Stan Douglas, Jeremy Deller, and Cecilia Bengolea. A notable addition is Devon Turnbull’s HiFi Listening Room Dream No 1, a dedicated space for experiencing vinyl records on a custom-built, high-performance sound system. The exhibition aims to explore the powerful connection between art and sound, offering visitors a fully immersive sensory experience.
Tickets to The Vinyl Factory: Reverb are available now and can be purchased through the 180 Studios website. The exhibition is located at 180 The Strand, London, WC2R 1EA, and is open from 10am to 7pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
Looking Ahead
As The Vinyl Factory: Reverb continues to draw visitors through March 2, 2025, it offers a compelling platform for artists like Es Devlin to explore new forms of expression and engage audiences in innovative ways. The exhibition’s focus on the interplay between visual and auditory experiences promises to spark conversation and inspire creativity. Further details about upcoming events and installations at 180 Studios can be found on their official website.
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