Hobbs is a Bristol based artist whose multidisciplinary practice reclaims municipal fixtures to explore neurodivergence, class friction, and public space. Holding an MA in Fine Art from UWE Bristol, his work combines sculpture, installation, performance, and community engagement.
His process considers how urban objects carry weight and memory, mirroring the lived experience of marginalised communities. He addresses how hostile architecture manifests design, tension, rejection, and exclusion, exposing how spatial limitations breed societal friction around migration and asylum seekers. Confronting who public space is built for, he champions how conversation and community heal these divides.
Achievements include exhibiting at Spike Island, solo shows at Centrespace, and leading participatory workshops at St Anne’s House, Bristol. Looking forward, Hobbs aims to scale his ambitious public interventions, partnering with major UK institutions to challenge hostile architecture and advocate for accessible, honest civic dialogue.
alarichobbs@gmail.com www.alarichobbs.com →
This installation subverts gallery rules and hostile design by inviting you to move, touch, and sit on three chairs spaced 75cm apart. Activating this dormant space reclaims your agency against disappearing 1990s urban memory, class friction, and autistic masking.
Evoking 1990s family gatherings, this film captures camcorder nostalgia, background chatter, and simple observation. Anchored by a humble bench, the two scenes celebrate humanity, memory, and the vital importance of coming together in person to talk, listen, and reminisce.
