The SDG Pavilion
An Es Devlin installation at the heart of the UN
The challenge
The Global Goals had reached halftime
In September 2023, world leaders gathered in New York at a critical moment. The world had reached the halfway point between the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and their 2030 deadline.
The challenge was to create a visible, inspiring home for the Goals at the heart of the United Nations, bringing people together around the ideas and solutions capable of accelerating progress.
The idea
Build a beacon for the Global Goals
Project Everyone collaborated with the UN and artist Es Devlin to create the SDG Pavilion, a striking installation within the grounds of United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Pavilion featured 17 doors, one for each Global Goal, with artists, activists, poets, thinkers and makers from around the world invited to interpret them.
Inside, an ‘Assembly of the Trees’ created a unique setting for conversations, performances and events focused on moving the Goals forward.
what happened
A week of ideas, action and culture at the heart of UNGA
Throughout General Assembly week, the Pavilion became a home for talks, meetings and cultural moments exploring climate justice, health, AI, finance and the future of the Goals.
It hosted the SDG Action Zone, 17 Rooms, the SDG Advocates Meeting and Women Rise For All, culminating in the SDG Halftime Show, an evening of speeches, films and music.
Speakers and visitors included Mia Mottley, Amina Mohammed, António Guterres, Orlando Bloom, Forest Whitaker and Sadiq Khan, alongside performances from artists including Angélique Kidjo, Yo-Yo Ma, Yemi Alade and Rocky Dawuni.
Result
2,100
people attended the Pavilion
130
speakers took part
34
hours of programming
4.5M
social media engagements
“Each door is a portal to one of the goals, seen through the lens of artists, activists, poets, thinkers and makers from every continent.”
Es Devlin
Artist and stage designer
Credits:
UN Office for Partnerships, Es Devlin, Empire, Scape Design, Scotscape, Betsee Parker, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Deloitte and Google.org