Es Devlin Awarded 2025 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT
Renowned artist and designer Es Devlin has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT. This accolade includes a prize of $100,000, which will be presented at a celebratory gala in her honor. Additionally, the award grants Devlin an artist residency at MIT in the spring of 2025. During this residency, she will engage with the community and deliver a public lecture showcasing her work on May 1, 2025.
Devlin’s creative endeavors delve into themes such as biodiversity, linguistic diversity, and collaborative AI-generated poetry. These subjects align with the ongoing research and exploration within the MIT community, making her work particularly relevant to the institution. She is celebrated for her public art and installations featured in major venues worldwide, including the Tate Modern, as well as her kinetic stage designs for notable events such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, and performances at the Metropolitan Opera. Her monumental stage sculptures have captivated audiences at large-scale stadium concerts, solidifying her reputation as a transformative artist in the field.
Reflecting on her upcoming residency and award, Devlin expressed, “I am always most energized by works I have not yet made, so I am immensely grateful to have this trust and investment in ideas I’ve yet to conceive. I’m honored to receive an award that has been granted to so many of my heroes, and I look forward to collaborating closely with the brilliant minds at MIT.”
The anticipation for Devlin’s presence at MIT is shared by the institution’s leadership. Philip S. Khoury, MIT’s vice provost and Ford International Professor of History, remarked, “We look forward to presenting Es Devlin with MIT’s highest award in the arts. Her work will be an inspiration for our students studying the visual arts, theater, media, and design. Her interest in AI and the arts dovetails with a major initiative at MIT to address the societal impact of generative artificial intelligence.” He further noted the perfect timing of her arrival, as it coincides with the opening of a new performing arts center and an arts festival on campus, highlighting the opportunity for MIT’s creative community to engage with Devlin’s exceptional artistic practice.
The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT recognizes creative individuals who are forging new paths in any artistic discipline or cross-disciplinary field. Unlike traditional awards, the $100,000 prize is aimed at fostering the recipient’s future creative ventures, offering investment in their ongoing exploration rather than merely celebrating past achievements. The announcement of Devlin’s selection was made during the 51st annual meeting of the Council for the Arts at MIT on October 24. Since its inception in 1974, the award has been conferred to 38 individuals across various artistic realms, including performing and visual arts, media arts, and contributions from authors and art historians. Notable past recipients include visionary artists such as Santiago Calatrava, Gustavo Dudamel, Olafur Eliasson, and Audra McDonald.
A hallmark of the McDermott Award is the short residency at MIT, during which the chosen artist engages with students and faculty, offers a public presentation of their work, and attends a gala that gathers distinguished leaders in the arts from around the world. The residency aims to immerse the recipient in the vibrant creative culture and cutting-edge research at MIT while fostering collaborative relationships within the community.
Established by Margaret McDermott in 1974 in honor of her husband, Eugene McDermott—a co-founder of Texas Instruments and a long-time supporter of MIT—the McDermott Award highlights the institution’s commitment to innovation, risk-taking, and interdisciplinary collaboration among creative thinkers. This award is conferred to individuals whose artistic accomplishments demonstrate the highest standards in their field and who are expected to continue as influential leaders in art.
Es Devlin, born in London in 1971, perceives an audience as a temporary society. She frequently invites public participation in her communal choral works, establishing a bridge between her art and the community. Her repertoire spans from public sculptures and installations displayed at prestigious institutions like the Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Lincoln Center, to kinetic stage designs destined for esteemed venues such as the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre. Additionally, Devlin made history as the first female architect of the U.K. Pavilion at a World Expo in 2020, creating an interactive experience where visitors could collaborate with AI to generate poetry on a 20-meter diameter facade.
Devlin’s contributions have not gone unnoticed in the media; her practice was the focus of the acclaimed 2015 Netflix documentary series “Abstract: The Art of Design.” A fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and the University of the Arts London, as well as a Royal Designer for Industry at the Royal Society of Arts, she has garnered numerous accolades, including the London Design Medal, three Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire honor. Additionally, she holds honorary doctorate degrees from the Universities of Bristol and Kent, reflecting her significant impact on the arts and culture landscape.
As Devlin prepares for her residency at MIT, the anticipation surrounding her collaborations and contributions to the community continues to grow, promising an inspiring chapter in both her career and MIT’s vibrant arts scene.
