Mastodawn

Alaric Hobbs Feb 1, 2025

‘Unshore’, Old suitcase, sand and air humidifier, 2024.

c. 1400, unseur, of a place, “not safe against attack,” also, of persons, “lacking certainty,” from un- “not” and sure. By early 15c. as “dependent on chance.”
The key of return—the symbolic act of holding onto the keys to their homes—embodies Palestinian resilience and the enduring connection to their homeland amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza (and previously, the Nakba). Central to Palestinian culture and activism, it signifies resistance and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Using sand from his garden, Alaric explores the concept of “home from home,” with the coastline serving as both a border and a gateway, symbolising departure, arrival, and displacement. This piece reflects on “emotional baggage” and “living from a suitcase,” addressing the shared trauma of refugees and rough sleepers.

#vintagesuitcase #contemporaryart #contemporarysculpture #contemporaryartist #conceptualart #conceptualartist #conceptualsculpture #roughsleepers #displacement #trauma #refugees #migration #seekingasylumisnotacrime #baggage #departure #arrival #emotionalbaggage #genocide #gaza #palestine #unsure #coasttocoast #border #shore #boundary #boundaries #boundarywaters #alarichobbs

My camera shoots fascists Jan 20, 2024

Working on a blog post and photos from last weekend at the border near Sasabe, Arizona. Headed back there tomorrow. Couldn't resist sharing this photo. The landscape and the wall are surreal. It's hard to even know what you're looking at here, but it's a small group of migrants walking up one of the roller-coaster steep hills along the wall road toward the humanitarian aid camp.

#Migrant #AsylumSeeker #MigrantAid #Asylum #Immigration #Border #SeekingAsylumIsNotACrime

My camera shoots fascists Dec 8, 2023

Every time I hear someone go on about "border security" I'm going to post this video of me pushing open a "gate" cut by cartels in the border fence; a fence that cost billions of dollars and is easily defeated by cheap cordless cutting tools.

There are two ways to have a secure border: place groups of soldiers in fortified bunkers every 100' along the *entire length of the fence* 24/7 (no, don't do this), or by helping to stabilize the economic and security situations in the countries people are arriving from while also having a humane and easy to navigate immigration policy.

Many of the people coming here in hopes of asylum are arriving from countries with a history of U.S. support for dictators (e.g. Honduras, Nicaragua) or as direct or indirect climate refugees. Given that the U.S. is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter (and, I believe, the largest per capita), we legitimately owe these people safe harbor.

#border #immigration #BorderWall #BorderSecurity #SeekingAsylumIsNotACrime