Congregation, a choral installation, by Es Devlin

Es Devlin to unveils installation on the Strand in London in support of UNHCR

Over the past four months, Devlin has created chalk and charcoal portraits of 50 Londoners who have experienced forced displacement. These portraits, displayed as a projection-mapped structure inside the church, feature sitters holding boxes with animated sequences they envisioned. The work represents a global congregation, with participants from countries like Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela, accompanied by a sound sequence composed by Polyphonia.

In parallel, the Sanctuary Programme and King’s College London will host discussions on asylum and migration, as part of the Lost & Found: Stories of Sanctuary and Belonging season. The installation responds to the rich history of St Mary le Strand, a church symbolic of exile and faith, and draws inspiration from 500 years of portraiture in The Courtauld’s collection.

Devlin’s process involves 45 minutes of drawing in silence, followed by a conversation with the sitter, making CONGREGATION a deeply personal reflection on migration, identity, and community.

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Inspiration from Mark.