Christopher Samuel
Christopher Samuel is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Leicester. The context of his practice is rooted in identity politics. He seeks to interrogate his own understanding of the factors that play a role in our identity and how they contribute to the way we act and feel as a person or a collective. He explores universal themes that arise from an analysis of the psychological dynamics of relationships and how people interact with each other.
ArtB&B Artwork
The Welcome Inn
‘The Welcome Inn’ is as much an experience as a hotel room. Samuel has transformed a standard hotel room into a fully immersive event that gives the visitor a taste of what it is like to face access barriers. Guests are invited to negotiate an oversized bed which is tricky to get in to, parts of the room that are too tight to move around in, a sink way too high, a TV you can only watch in the mirror, and a host of other ingeniously awkward features. Not features that are likely to entice a good review on Trip Advisor BUT this hotel room will give you an experience like no other! Realised with a great deal of thought and humour, it is perfectly possible however (for a fully able-bodied person) to have an enjoyable stay.Here is what Christopher has to say about it:“As a person who normally avoids hotels because of my high access needs, I was forced to experience what it is like to face access barriers in a place many people go to relax and enjoy. This in turn got me interested in what other disabled people’s experiences of hotels might be, something I want to recount through this installation.”During the construction of the hotel the building company referred to this room as ‘the awkward room’ because virtually everything is not in the right place.Co-commissioned with Unlimited https://weareunlimited.org.uk/
