Es Devlin and Ekow Eshun on Belonging, Otherness and Identity
Feb 14, 2025
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In a candid conversation, Es Devlin and Ekow Eshun explore the transformative power of human connection. Devlin's project invites reflection on personal biases through the stories of Londoners from immigrant backgrounds. Eshun's book delves into racial identity by uncovering the narratives of five Black men across time. They discuss how 'otherness' shapes belonging and emphasize that understanding each other requires vulnerability. Both artists highlight the journey of self-discovery as a means to bridge cultural divides and foster empathy.
Es Devlin emphasizes the importance of confronting personal biases to foster genuine connections and understanding within diverse communities.
Ekow Eshun's exploration of racial identity in 'The Strangers' highlights the necessity of recognizing shared humanity beyond historical stereotypes.
Deep dives
Exploring Identity and Otherness
The discussion highlights the importance of understanding one's own identity in relation to others, particularly through the lens of otherness. The project 'Congregation' involved inviting 50 Londoners from immigrant backgrounds to be depicted in a local church, aiming to bridge gaps of separation and bias. The host and guests emphasize the necessity of confronting personal prejudices to create genuine connections with others. This exploration reveals that true understanding of community and belonging requires active self-reflection and a willingness to embrace diversity.
Racial Identity and Belonging
Echo Eshin's book, 'The Stranger', serves as a critical examination of racial identity and the narratives surrounding black masculinity. The book tells the stories of five significant black figures, highlighting their experiences with marginalization and their quests for recognition in a world that renders them as 'others.' Eshin's goal is to transform how these individuals are perceived, focusing on their humanity rather than reducing them to historical footnotes. Through his narrative, he tackles the complexities of blackness in relation to broader societal expectations and the stereotypes that accompany them.
Art as a Path to Empathy
The hosts discuss how artistic projects can foster empathy and understanding among individuals with different backgrounds. By engaging in creative endeavors like 'Come Home Again,' the artists explore the interconnectedness of all beings, blurring the lines between humanity and nature. The conversation illustrates how these artistic experiences encourage vulnerability and intimacy, creating opportunities for deeper self-discovery. The notion of home is revisited, suggesting it is not merely a physical place but also the diverse identities we carry within ourselves.
In an intimate conversation at BoF VOICES 2024, artist and stage designer Es Devlin and writer and cultural curator Ekow Eshun discuss the transformative potential of human connection.
Emerging from a desire to confront her own biases, Devlin’s “Congregation” project invited 50 Londoners from immigrant backgrounds to be drawn and displayed inside St. Mary le Strand church in London. Eshun’s new book, “The Strangers”, likewise interrogates racial identity and belonging through the stories of five Black men spanning centuries and continents.
“I'm not the same person at all,” says Devlin, reflecting on her experience. “I'm a bit more raw as a consequence of writing [The Strangers] because … you have to open yourself up to pain and fraughtness,” adds Eshun.
Devlin and Eshun investigate how “otherness” shapes our sense of belonging and argue that true understanding requires a radical willingness to open ourselves to one another — and, in the process, rediscover parts of ourselves.
Key Insights:
For Devlin, bridging cultural divides begins with a fearless self-examination: “I wanted to encounter my own racism, my own bias, my own separation.” Considering how certain immigrants are welcomed while others are rejected, she admits, “If it's at work in my community, it must be at work in me. It must be work in my very person. Whether I think it is or not, I must encounter it.”
Creative inquiry can be a path to self-discovery. “Almost any creative exercise in the end becomes about one trying to meet what’s inside you," Eshun explains. "It's easy enough to say, 'We're all one interconnected species.' But to do that, you have to put in some work along the way. That work is self-revelatory, but it's also a work of active imagination and broad empathy."
For Eshun, genuine unity demands more than rhetoric—it requires a purposeful willingness to understand and embrace our differences. “It's easy enough to say, we're all one people, … but to do that, you have to do some work along the way. That work is a self revelatory work, but it's also a work of active imagination. It's also a work of broad empathy. It's also a presumption of intimacy or connection, which I think is sometimes hard to get to.”