Model, Abel’s Mask

Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA

“Using a 3D scan of Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye’s head, we worked closely with engineers to construct a sculptural mask that could be installed on the Coachella Festival stage despite the area’s frequent high winds. Illuminated in vivid reds and blues, the giant mask seemed to emanate sound as well as light over an entranced, dancing crowd of 125,000.”

—Es Devlin

Es Devlin, Study, Abel’s Mask, Graphite on tracing paper.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin

A large model of a hand and face are bathed in red light and surrounded by fog, foregrounded by a silhouette of a crowd of people.

Production photograph, Abel’s Mask
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin

A large model of a hand and a face are bathed in blue light in front of a blue and white twinkling background. Silhouettes of two people in front of the hand and face appear much smaller.

Production photograph, Abel’s Mask
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin

White model of a face suspended in air; blue and pink wavy lines are projected onto the surface of the face.

Es Devlin, Model, Abel’s Mask, 3D-printed resin, recreated for exhibition.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution

White model of a face suspended in air; purple light is projected onto the surface of the face.

Es Devlin, Model, Abel’s Mask, 3D-printed resin, recreated for exhibition.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution

White model of a face suspended in air; red light is projected onto the surface of the face.

Es Devlin, Model, Abel’s Mask, 3D-printed resin, recreated for exhibition.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Photo: Elliot Goldstein © Smithsonian Institution

Contour drawing of a face, facing the viewer, with vertical lines throughout.

Es Devlin, Study, Abel’s Mask, Graphite on tracing paper.
Staged 2018, The Weeknd Coachella Festival, Indio, California, USA
Courtesy of Es Devlin

Model, Abel’s Mask

An Atlas of Es Devlin

Your journey so far

All pages

An Infinite Archive

Studio

Iris

Archive Unboxed

Sculptures, Ideas to Forms

Studies, Abel’s Mask

Studies, After Hours Til Dawn

Studies, Bangerz

Studies, Come Home Again

Studies, Electric

Studies, Experience + Innocence

Studies, Flag: Burning

Studies, Forest of Us

Studies, Fundamental

Studies, Hello

Studies, Innocence + Experience

Studies, Legend of the Fall

Studies, Memory Palace

Studies, Mirror Maze

Studies, PoemPortraits

Studies, Sphere

Studies, Unknown Soldier

Studies, Witness

Study, Die Tote Stadt

Study, Don Giovanni

Study, Free Your Mind

Model, Atlas

Model, Betrayal

Model, Don Giovanni

Model, Fundamental

Model, Howie the Rookie

Model, La Caja Mágica / The Seed

Model, Legend of the Fall

Model, Macbeth

Model, Parsifal

Model, The Hunt

Model, The Lehman Trilogy

Sculpture, Songs for Sorrow

Model, Abel’s Mask

Model, Bangerz

Model, Carmen

Model, Chimerica

Model, Compton Super Bowl

Model, Flag: Burning

Model, Hello

Model, Innocence + Experience

Model, Les Troyens

Model, Progress

Model, London Olympics

Study, Dynamic Cube

Study, Perforated Screen

Model, Come Home Again

Model, Five Echoes

Model, Forest of Us

Model, Infinite Library

Model, Memory Palace

Model, Mirror Maze

Model, Please Feed the Lions

Model, Poem Pavilion

Model, Redraw the Edges of Your Self

Model, Room 2022

Model, Your Voices

Model, Zoetrope

Theater in a Box

Films

Book Unbound