Festival Art Souterrain

Sans-Abris [ Homeless ] is a major installation that continues the theme of the same-titled piece previously displayed in Oli Sorenson’s solo exhibition, Après moi, le déluge, at Art Mûr. In this iteration, four sleeping bags are symbolically suspended above the stairs of a residual space in the underground city. The work serves as a desperate outcry regarding the global housing crises many cities face.

Figures marked by a thick black line, part of Sorenson’s geometric language, are positioned upside down to illustrate a world stripped of meaning. The plight of the homeless is often overlooked when it should be at the forefront of public consciousness, demanding attention and innovative solutions. This contrast between the ideal home and the minimal representation of a sleeping bag challenges our understanding of what constitutes a space we can truly call home.

Sorenson is a multidisciplinary artist born in Los Angeles who began his career in London in 1999. He is well-known for exploring digital culture, new media, and themes related to artistic ownership and (over)consumption. His work often presents a critical perspective on contemporary society. By frequently utilizing simple, recognizable geometric forms, he questions the concepts of repetition and reproduction in art while engaging with the public. His recent pictorial and sculptural projects highlight the tensions between capitalism and ecology, encouraging collective awareness. Sorenson has performed audiovisual works at prestigious institutions, including the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London, 2003-2006), Tate Britain (London, 2006), and the British Film Institute (London, 2008-2010), as well as at various festivals such as ZKM (Karlsruhe, 2002), Mapping (Geneva, 2009), Sonica (Ljubljana, 2012), Monitoring (Kassel, 2012-2017), and Unfold X (Seoul, 2023).