London Design Festival 2018 Es Devlin installation: The Order of Time, Peckham

One woman connects Beyoncé, Benedict Cumberbatch, The Royal Ballet, the 2012 Olympics and a whole host of contemporary theatre blockbusters. Olivier-winning stage designer Es Devlin has shifted the typical dynamic of backstage creatives to become as high profile as the performers on her stages. Whether they’re for Kanye West’s world tour or new writing at the Royal Court, her sets are show-stopping.

Devlin returns to Peckham this September, after the success of her stunning Mirror Maze at Copeland Park in 2016, to bring a new installation to a multi-storey car park. The Order of Time will feature extracts from theoretical physicist and bestselling author Carlo Rovelli’s new book of the same name, read by Benedict Cumberbatch. Devlin and Rovelli will reflect on the strange nature of time, being and transformation, in a spectacularly ambitious audio-visual experience.




The one-off event on 22nd September will close art collective Bold Tendencies’ 2018 summer season in style. The installation will be accompanied by the Multi-Story Orchestra, who will perform pieces by Haydn and John Adams.

The Order of Time is a free event, but make sure to book in advance to secure a ticket

If you are unable to attend this one-off event, head to Trafalgar Square during London Design Festival 2018 to see Devlin's immersive installation, Please Feed the Lions. The fluorescent red, interactive installation is the result of a year-long collaboration between internationally renowned set-designer Es Devlin and Google Arts & Culture.

However, unlike the Trafalgar pride, Devlin's lion roars poetry – the words he roars will be decided by the public, who can 'feed' him suggestions at anytime, day or night. During the day, poetic phrases will be displayed in the lion's mouth, by night, they will be projected onto Nelson's Column. Devlin's immersive lion sculpture sees history, design, machine learning and the creative arts merge as one.