A powerful new art installation, HOME-LESS, has been unveiled at Dorchester Abbey in Oxford, designed to draw attention to the growing issue of homelessness in the city.
Created by artists Adrian Brooks and Tim Cook, the installation consists of four large cardboard boxes, each featuring stories from people who have experienced homelessness, alongside an alternative map of Oxford highlighting organizations that support those in need.
Adrian Brooks, the lead artist, explained the inspiration behind the work, sharing how a simple card left next to a rough sleeper caught his attention.
The card read, “before you walk away, put yourself in my position.”
This message became the central theme of the installation, inviting visitors to step into the shoes of those who have faced homelessness.
Brooks hopes the experience will challenge people to rethink their perspective and develop a deeper understanding of the issue.
Tim Cook, who designed the physical structure of the installation, was moved by the number of homeless people he saw while walking through Oxford.
“We wanted to draw attention to their stories,” Cook said, adding that the project introduced them to remarkable individuals who have overcome homelessness and those working tirelessly to help them.
The charity Emmaus Oxford partnered with the artists to bring HOME-LESS to life, contributing portraits and diaries of former homeless people who were supported by the organization.
Janet Mboulota, who was once homeless herself, reflected on the installation, saying, “Although my situation was different, the fear portrayed is the same.”
Visitors to HOME-LESS are invited to enter the cardboard boxes for three minutes, giving them a moment of reflection, after which they can share their thoughts in a comment book and post an image on social media to raise further awareness.
The installation replaces CELL, a previous work by the same artists, which was a life-size reconstruction of former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s prison cell.
HOME-LESS continues the artists’ mission to use immersive art as a means of storytelling and social commentary, this time turning attention to the often invisible struggle of homelessness.
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