“CONGREGATION” 

Artist Es Devlin has brought her acclaimed large-scale choral installation, “CONGREGATION,” to the United States for its premiere at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Originally debuting in London in 2024, the work was so highly anticipated in New York that PAC NYC announced a four-week extension. Following its initial run from October 29 to November 1, 2025, the installation has returned for an extended engagement from December 9, 2025, through January 4, 2026. Presented as part of the “ICONS OF CULTURE” series.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a monumental, projection-mapped, tiered sculpture featuring 50 large-scale chalk and charcoal portraits of Londoners who have experienced forced displacement. Devlin refers to the subjects as “co-authors,” as each sitter collaborated on the project. During the creation process, Devlin spent the first 45 minutes drawing in silence to confront her own “assumptions and biases” before the sitter shared their personal story. A notable feature of each portrait is an illuminated box held by the sitter, which contains a personalized, projected animated film sequence co-conceived with Devlin to represent their individual journey and spirit.

The visual experience is deeply intertwined with an evocative soundscape composed by Polyphonia. This sound installation incorporates poetry by the Kinshasa-born poet JJ Bola alongside extracts from Max Richter’s “Recomposed: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons.” The auditory journey culminates in a powerful reworking of Anton Bruckner’s sacred motet “Locus Iste,” which blends the diverse voices of the London Bulgarian Choir, The South African Cultural Gospel Choir UK, Genesis Sixteen and The Choir of King’s College London. Together, these elements transform the performing arts space into a luminous and meditative site of human connection and dignity.

Posted by: admin on December 16, 2025