'Shadows of the Wanderer' includes ten figures, each larger than a human, which stand around a young man who is carrying an older man on his back.
The two central pieces are influenced by Aeneid, an ancient poem by Virgil, which is about a young man - Aeneas - who carries him lame father while fleeing the burning ruins of Troy.
Each of the pieces at the display, which opens to the public on Saturday and continues until November 14th, is made from a single lime tree.
They occupy the entire North Transept of the cathedral and have been designed by the Brazilian-born sculptor, painter and printmaker, Ana Maria Pacheco.
The free exhibition is being supporting by the human rights organisation Amnesty International.
Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, says: "We are delighted to be supporting this timely and poignant installation at Chichester Cathedral.
"Visitors will experience not just their own reaction to the two desperate figures that flee, but also the varied and complex reactions of the other carved figures that witness their suffering.
"How we choose to respond to refugees is one of the most important questions on our national and international agenda."
In a statement, Chichester Cathedral said: "Pacheco's contemporary - and challenging - depiction of this scene resonates powerfully with current debates about exile, migration, and the displacement of people who are trying to escape persecution in our own day."
"Each of the figures in the installation has their own story to be interpreted.
"The towering figures in the shadows around the wanderer are clad in dark robes, their differing postures and expressions suggesting a range of profound emotional reactions; one might be showing anguish, but another, denial."