red art club
Pseudo Public Place
2023
Aluminium Sign
Not for sale
This artwork, situated on Bristol’s Turbo Island—an iconic and controversial piece of land central to Stokes Croft since the 1940s—comments on the growing privatisation of public spaces in urban areas. With the shift to internet shopping, the decline of town centres has widened the gap between rich and poor, as gentrification “cleanses” these areas of those deemed undesirable based on their financial status.
The work critiques this social sorting, where anti-loitering deterrents marginalise the homeless and restrict their access to shared spaces. This diminishing right to roam fosters a dystopian environment, contributing to the mental health challenges faced by vulnerable individuals.
The piece itself embodies this fragile boundary between public and private realms: although privately made, it was placed in a public space, where it became subject to graffiti and social interaction. This act reflects the transformation of private expression into a shared, contested commentary on ownership and belonging. Through eco-therapy, nature has been shown to alleviate anxiety and depression, yet the dwindling natural and communal spaces prevent those in need from accessing these mental health benefits. This work invites viewers to question the ethics and impact of privately owned “public” spaces on individual well-being and societal inclusion.
ALARIC HOBBS
Alaric channels an intense disapproval of global injustices throughout their practice, creating work that speaks to, and against, systems of control and deterrence. Alaric’s exploration of societal and environmental conflicts through sculpture is simultaneously an act of resistance and a form of personal healing.
Working primarily with found objects and detritus, Alaric seeks out materials scarred with textures, spots and marks that lend themselves to layered interpretation. These discarded fragments resonate with the overlooked, ignored, or suppressed experiences that Alaric highlights within their work.
Since beginning to explore sculpture at 16 years old, Alaric’s practice has grown into a dialogue with forms of deterrence and hostility imposed on vulnerable populations worldwide.