Homelessness: Reframed, an exhibition curated in partnership between Prince William’s Homewards programme, Eleven Eleven Foundation and Saatchi Gallery, harnesses the power of art to help improve the nation’s understanding of homelessness and inspire optimism that it can be ended.
The exhibition features works from renowned contemporary artists including Marc Quinn, Philip Colbert, Rankin, Robi Walters and Simone Brewster, alongside graffiti artist Opake and spoken word poet Surfing Sofas. Homelessness: Reframed offers a powerful platform for those directly affected by homelessness to share their stories through art and is free to visit and open to the public from Wednesday 7th August to Friday 20th September.
Homelessness: Reframed brings to life the breadth and complexities of homelessness across the United Kingdom and give people an opportunity to engage with, and better understand, the stories of those with experience of homelessness. Featured artworks include pieces created by children and young people at a series of creative workshops held across the six flagship Homewards locations.
Artists involved include: Alexandria Julouis, Dave Martin, David Tovey, Marc Davenant, Marc Quinn, Opake, Philip Colbert, Rankin, Robi Walters, Sam D’Cruze, Simone Brewster, Surfing Sofas and Tiffany Barham. And the artists from the six Homewards locations are; Bruno Batista, Charlotte, Chloé Nicole Farrell, Justin Kouame, Kyle Legall, Nikol DeHaan, Stuart Peaty and Trevor Loveys.
In Reframed, artists were invited to create works reflecting their own or others’ experiences of homelessness. Highlights of the exhibition ‘Home 2013’, a sculpture by Award-winning social justice artist David Tovey made from scraps of metal and panels from a Peugeot 206, the type of car which was the artist’s home for six months. The shed-shaped sculpture is painted burgundy red colour, similar to a paratrooper’s beret, reflecting Tovey’s military background. Tovey once used the services of homelessness charity ‘The Passage’, and now hosts art classes at one of its residential projects.
Another highlight is Robi Waters ‘Are all journeys undertaken alone?’, a collage of two brightly coloured circles representing now and the future, as a metaphor for a brighter future than the present moment.
Marc Quinn’s Labyrinth Painting uses Lorna Tucker’s fingerprint on an oval canvas to explore human identity and societal connections; Tucker, a writer and director, experienced homelessness over many years.
Philip Colbert was inspired by conversations with people with lived experience of homelessness. His piece ‘Community’ speaks to the celebration of community as an integral part of making a home, using his iconic cartoon lobster to bring this to life.
Opake’s sculpture and painting ‘Happily Anxious and Holding It All Together… Kinda’, delves into the chaotic nature of addiction and recovery.
Simone Brewster explores the emotional toll of temporary accommodation in
her piece ;Pack Away Desire and Other Precious Things’, exhibiting wooden stylised storage boxes that represent the emotional and material baggage carried by those in precarious housing situations.
Alexandria Julouis’ multimedia collage captures the instability of sofa surfing in All I Got, highlighting the transient nature of such living conditions.
Surfing Sofas presents ‘Spectra of Displacement’, a poetic exploration of homelessness, capturing the diverse and complex experiences of those affected.
Tiffany Barham’s ‘Scandal Bag’ reflects the space between the hidden and
visible interpretations of homelessness, incorporating aspects of Tiffany’s personal life as a source for inspiration.
In the UK, over 300,000 people – nearly half of whom are children – are experiencing homelessness. This issue encompasses a spectrum of experiences, from sofa surfing and street sleeping to living in cars, hostels or other temporary accommodations. Despite the relentless efforts of the homelessness sector, this crisis persists due to a lack of comprehensive collaboration and a focus on managing – rather than preventing – homelessness.
Research conducted by Homewards’ partners shows that many people only recognise street homelessness or don’t know much at all about the realities of homelessness in the UK.
A third of the general public wrongly assume that those who are homeless have been homeless before. Inspired by these findings, Homewards worked with partners to create an immersive way to challenge perceptions through an exhibition held during a peak month for tourism and culture in London.
Homelessness: Reframed is at Saatchi Gallery from 7th August to 20th September, 2024.
