Sabine Delafon turns homeless signs into art multiples

Since 2014, French artist Sabine Delafon (b. 1975, Grenoble) has been buying cardboard signs reading "HO FAME" ("I AM HUNGRY") from homeless people she encounters on the streets of Milan. She photographs the signs and transforms them into posters, T-shirts (in collaboration with brand MARIOS), and Limoges ceramic plates, which she sells as artist multiples. Proceeds support non-profits Banco Alimentare and Equoevento. Delafon considers the original sign the true artwork, while the multiples fund production and charity. The project also includes paid gourmet dinners, such as one held in Rome on February 15, 2019, at Grossi Maglioni studio in Torpignattara, with chefs Francesca Barreca and Marco Baccanelli. A similar event is planned for Milan during MiArt (April 5–7, 2019). Delafon's practice is accumulative and serial; her photobooth project has run for 31 years. She emphasizes that the exchange of money, however small, restores value to the individuals. The black-and-white prints aestheticize the signs while preserving their meaning. Delafon aims to collect hundreds of signs, as quantity determines the work's value.