Artist Draws 243 Endangered Species for Immersive Public Installation in London

Artist Draws 243 Endangered Species for Immersive Public Installation in London

Artist Es Devlin is asking the public to think about our place in nature with an immersive public installation called Come Home Again. For the experience, which is sponsored by Cartier, Devlin drew 243 endangered species on London's priority conservation list. These drawings sit nestled within an illuminated sculpture that takes inspiration from the dome of London's St. Paul's Cathedral.

Situated in the Tate Modern Garden, opposite the cathedral, the installation invites the public to come inside and immerse themselves among the species that also call the city home. The moths, birds, beetles, wildflowers, fish, and fungi that Devlin illustrated are a haunting look at the biodiversity that London risks losing.

“A dome originally meant a home,” Devlin shares. “The work invites us to see, hear and feel our home, our city as an interconnected web of species and cultures, to learn and remember the names and sing those under threat into continued existence.”

Each evening, a London-based choral group performs in the sculpture. In this way, human voices are united with the voices of birds, bats, and insects, becoming one. During the day, a soundscape with the sounds and names of the species Devlin drew fill the sculpture.

In using the dome as a sanctuary, Devlin invites the public to join her in sheltering these at-risk species. Thanks to her intricate drawings, visitors are given a visual of the animals, plants, and insects they might often forget. By giving them a “face,” Devlin is also highlighting their importance and providing an essential reminder of what London risks losing.

Come Home Again is open to the public until October 1, 2022.

For her installation Come Home Again, Es Devlin drew 243 endangered species on London's priority conservation list.

Photo: Will Brown

The drawings are nestled in an illuminated dome situation in the Tate Modern Garden.

Devlin hopes that the piece reminds people of the interconnectedness between species.

Photo: Will Brown

Es Devlin: Website | Instagram

All photos by Daniel Devlin except where noted. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Es Devlin.

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