S.O.S. consists of a series of photographic works taken by and of Johanna Haerens, in and around her apartment in Brussels, Belgium. The series is a protest against our increasingly individualistic culture, in which independence and self-care (rather than care) are celebrated, whereas interdependence and displays of vulnerability are disapproved of. During a recent emotionally turbulent period, Haerens decided to go against this societal trend and no longer concealed her emotions. She asked her environment for help and care, demonstrating her vulnerability.
The self-portraits are reminiscent of that period. Taken in the dark, intimate setting of her home, each photograph presents an emotion Haerens felt and showed. Using a long shutter speed to light-paint Morse code, an international method for sending out messages, she is manifesting her feelings and transmitting signals to her environment for help, while bringing light into the dark.
Recognizing that active displays of vulnerability can be infectious, Haerens hopes this series will lower the barrier for spectators to do the same.
