Homeless by Choice – An Unexpected Encounter in the Canary Islands

During the summer vacations, including today, thebrokernews podcasts also go on vacation. In their place, we are showing interesting video interviews and podcasts from our partner, The INGAGE Institute. Today with the two Lars.

It was a picture-book Saturday about some years ago in the Canary Islands, one of those days that invite reflection and chance encounters. For Phil and Pat, two brothers and founders of The INGAGE Institute, it was also a day that challenged their view of art, wealth and the notion of home.

While hiking along a picturesque path, the brothers struck up a conversation with a soft-spoken man who introduced himself simply as Lars. Friendly and open, Lars explained that he was an artist from Denmark and homeless: not by misfortune, but by choice.

This simple revelation gave Phil and Pat pause.

“You’re homeless by choice?” asked Phil.

Lars explained that he came to the Canary Islands to explore poverty and simplicity, not as a crash, but as a philosophical and artistic choice. He wanted to live without the shackles of consumption, to experience what it means to have less and perhaps gain more in the process.

Art Money: works of art as an alternative currency

Lars (Christian Kræmmer) was not just any artist. In 1997 he was the founder of Art Money a creative solution to the precarious financial situation of many artists. The concept is that artists create unique 12 x 18 cm artworks that serve as an alternative currency that can be bought, exchanged or used as payment in participating stores. In doing so, they criticize traditional currency systems and explore the nature of value.

In 2024, the management of Art Money passed to artist Catrine Holte, with Lars retaining a minority stake. The project now aims to support emerging artists while continuing their mission as a creative initiative for artistic currency, producing small, postcard-sized drawings called ‘money’. These pieces act as a form of alternative currency, challenging traditional notions of value and exchange. His project developed into a movement, which he provocatively named “Art Bank” until legal problems forced him to rethink the name. Apparently, the name “bank” can raise legal problems, even if it is clearly art.

Art Money has become a global art currency, accepted in over 70 countries and even recognized by some official retailers in Denmark (e.g. the Ibsen Hotel in Copenhagen).

Phil and Pat, whose journalistic work at INGAGE revolves around topics such as banking, insurance and risk, were intrigued. The general advice from friends and acquaintances, however, was to ignore such a story: “Nobody cares about a homeless person,” people told him. But this only strengthened the brothers’ conviction to spread Lars’ voice. Here was someone who lived outside the system and yet was intensely concerned with the rigid institutions of society, money and value.

During their conversation, Phil even brought up the idea of turning Lars’ art into NFTs to provide a new source of income for someone living on the streets. But as it turned out, Lars’ world was even more connected than it first seemed. One of Denmark’s billionaires and founder of a major bank was in contact with Lars, blurring the lines between poverty and privilege, outsider and insider.

The story took another turn when they all met in a café in Las Palmas. Lars had brought a friend with him, also called Lars, who introduced himself as a musician. Without warning, he took out a guitar and began to sing. The moment was electrifying. Phil and Pat were overwhelmed by the beauty of the song and the intimacy of the performance.

Then came the surprise

It was the first time that Lars H.U.G. – the singer – had played this song to someone. What the brothers didn’t know at that moment was that Lars H.U.G. is one of Denmark’s most respected musicians. In fact, he is so revered that the Danish king personally asked for permission to sing one of his songs at the prince’s wedding.

From a casual hike to a philosophical exchange, from conversations about art and money to a private concert with a national icon – the day was picture-perfect. And it all began with a man who chose to be homeless not out of desperation, but out of artistic rebellion.

Sometimes the most meaningful stories come from the margins, where artists, wanderers and visionaries challenge us to see life not as a race for accumulation, but as an experiment in simplicity, connection and creative risk.

And that’s exactly what the video you’re about to see shows.

Binci Heeb

Listen and read also: Richard Simcott: The Superman of Learning