Hôtel de Ville
Søren Berner

With Hôtel de Ville, Søren Berner examines the igloo tent as a contradictory symbol of protection and exclusion, freedom and coercion. In Paris, tents are a forced living space for migrants and homeless people.

Elsewhere, the same form stands for voluntary insecurity—adventure, lifestyle, a romantic idea of “being outdoors.” Developed as a site-specific work for the Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography, Berner transforms this fragile, temporary object into permanent sculptures in public space. In the exhibition, an installation with photographs of urban tents complements the work: the images hang behind mosquito nets, above which are screen prints with outdoor slogans such as “Travel light. Live hard.” Smooth language meets the reality of survival.

Hôtel de Ville asks: Who is allowed to be vulnerable? Who is forced to be? Who owns public space—and who is merely tolerated in it?

Supported by: Statens Kunstfond

Proposed by: Espace Libre

Curators: Laurine Landry & Janosch Perler

Year of production: 2026