Over the last 12 months, acclaimed street artist My Dog Sighs (MDS) has been feverishly working on something very special. Something he describes as his ‘most ambitious project to date’… an immersive installation titled ‘Inside – We Shelter Here Sometimes’.
The My Dog Sighs installation, created within an undisclosed location in Portsmouth features MDS’ iconic creatures he likes to call his ‘Quiet Little Voices’.
“Like us, these creatures are not perfect, nor are their lives perfect. They struggle, they make mistakes, they fail. But like us too, they don’t give up. Even among the decay they use their creativity to find hope – a powerful message in these turbulent times”, explains MDS.

What makes this show particularly exciting is that for the first time My Dog Sighs is moving into new territory, adding sculpture, light and sound to his repertoire. In a post on social media, he explained that he brought in Christopher Whitear from the University of Portsmouth to help make his ideas for sound a reality.

Although the location currently remains a secret, what we do know is it’s an abandoned building somewhere in Portsmouth of which the show will take place over various levels.
A quote from the official Press Release explains the relationship between his ‘creatures’ and the space – “The anthropomorphic creatures have been given free rein to take over the multi-storey space, finding shelter and creating their own language amongst the dimly lit corners. Inside responds to the building itself and finds beauty amongst its dilapidated floors and crumbling walls. The project extends My Dog Sighs’ street art practice where he uncovers the beauty of these forgotten spaces and demonstrates the power of creativity to inspire and uplift communities”.

Trained stewards will be on hand to greet visitors at the My Dog Sighs installation to explain the themes and vision of ‘Inside’. MDS will also be leading specialist artist tours during the exhibition to provide more insight into the show and his life as a street artist.
During the making of the show MDS has been followed by photographer and film maker Paul Gonella. The resulting footage is going to be released as a feature length documentary. There will also be an educational pack designed to be used by teachers and students around the world. Taking inspiration from Inside, the pack provides young people with the creative tools needed to find hope in difficult situations and shows how they can use art to empower their local communities.

We’ve been fans of My Dog Sighs for many many years and it’s been incredible to see how his vision and creativity have taken him all over the world. He continuously pushes barriers and asks questions within his work and we are very excited to go and see this show for ourselves.
‘Inside – We Shelter Here Sometimes’ a My Dog Sighs installation, opens on Friday 16th July through to Sunday 1st August. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased from Eventbrite. Ticket costs are £10 for adults, £5 concession and 18s are free.