Examples of Søren Otto’s work
YOU HAVE BEEN SHEEP’ED (installation, Folkemødet)
For this years FOLKEMØDE (a Danish democracy festival) Søren made 13 sheep which were dotted through out the festival on spots related to the sheep’s content: Each sheep carried a QR code which – when scanned – informed the viewer of aspects of being homeless; eg. Where to sleep, get money, your dog as your best friend.
The Black Sheep – sheep nr. 13 – of course lived at our stall – SAND – The National Homeless Organization of Denmark.
The black sheep was set free on the final day of the festival with a poem written and performed by Søren.
The message: Are we all just sheep, blindly following the same leader, lulled into the belief that we can make a difference?
CELEBRATIONAL ARCH (installation, UN International Day of Poverty)
As the Danish Homeless Day (marked every year on the 17th of October on Copenhagen’s town hall square) celebrated its 25th anniversary – ie Silver Anniversary – Søren made a celebrational arch over a massive old front door. The installation thus borrowed symbols from traditional Danish life (the marking of a Silver anniversary with an arch on the door) but opened onto the open square and the blue sky – juxtaposing having a front door – with having nowhere to live.
The minister of social affairs opens the door – onto the town hall square and was greeted by a local homeless – and man who calls the streets – and thus the square – his home
POSTER HOMELESS DAY 2022
The official poster for the Homeless Day 2022 is made of cardboard cut outs pieced together. It shows among other things the city hall tower, a pigeon – images associated with the Copenhagen Town hall Square where the event is held. The choice of material – cardboard – symbolizes homelessness – you can keep warm by sitting on cardboard in the street, a cardboard box can provide shelter.
THE STOCKS/CAUGHT IN THE SYSTEM (installation for Hus Forbi, Folkemøde)
Classic old fashioned stocks painted as the Danish national flag. Showing how – as a homeless – you get caught in the system, and are seen as nothing but a mere criminal. You tend to be held in the homeless situation instead of getting relevant help. Furthermore, you often have to make a public victim out of yourself to get help you are entitled to, and the system decide when to let go of you, and set you free.
