Jesper Houborg

The Pauses in Between

According to City Index Survey (Time Out, 2016), London has been classified as the loneliest city in the world. Indeed 55% of respondents said their city can sometime feel like a lonely place to live. By comparison, only 10% of respondents in Lisbon said the same. Loneliness is an emotion, that can be defined by a sadness coming of having no friends or company. As such, it differs from social isolation as well as solitude. Even if loneliness is difficult to measure, it is now proven that it has health impact.

But why do the Londoner feel the loneliest in the world? One of the reasons may be connected to the rapid turnover of population in the city. London’s inhabitants have lived here for six fewer years than other major cities, therefore relationships in London are not long lasting, which reduces the sense of community. On the top of that come the difficulties of modern life in big cities, like high living cost, urban design, or technology.

As a new Londoner, I could experience a feeling of disconnection between the people. The Pauses in Between try to understand the expression of loneliness through the city. What happens between people in big city spaces? The pauses we take in between the hectic, fast-paced life more and more people live today. Are these pauses a short moment where we try to relate to our surroundings, people or maybe just to ourselves?

Three photographs from the series was exhibited in a group show as part of 'London Nights' at Museum of London.  

London, United Kingdom, 2018