SORRY
USAD (United States Apologies Desk)

Public engagement/intervention (work in progress), 2025

SORRY is an ongoing series of public art interventions by American-born, Edinburgh-based artist and activist Joseph DeLappe. First launched in Edinburgh on July 4th and 5th, 2025, with an upcoming engagement schedule for July 25th in Aberdeen, to protest Donald Trump’s visit to Scotland. The project invites passersby into moments of shared reflection, political dialogue, and public atonement.

At the heart of the intervention is a simple yet striking setup: a small desk draped with a cotton American flag, altered with hand-sewn woollen letters to read “SORRY.” A placard atop the desk reads “USAD – United States Apologies Desk”, humorously framing the project as an unofficial diplomatic gesture. DeLappe sits behind the desk, with an empty chair opposite him—an open invitation for the public to sit, talk, and engage in honest conversation about the global impact of U.S. policies, leadership, and imperial legacies.

Each participant is offered a hand-signed apology card, including DeLappe’s personal pledge to resist Donald Trump and all forms of fascist ideology through civic and creative engagement. By occupying public space with humility and intention, SORRY reimagines protest as dialogue, and personal accountability as performance.