Bristol hotel artwork ‘honours legacy’ of St Pauls

The newly opened Moxy hotel, in St Pauls, Bristol, showcases four pieces that focus on the local area’s history.

Social enterprise Bricks Bristol commissioned a selected group of local artists to design the works.

“It was great to see St Paul’s legacy incorporated into a newly built hotel,” said Sam Scott, local resident.

The main attraction is the art installation hosted on the outside of the hotel, named “Jewels”.

Bristol poet and educator Lawrence Hoo and art director Charles Golding collaborated on the piece, which features diamonds hung with lights and mirrors, overlaid with Mr Hoo’s poem dedicated to St Pauls.

“A jewel is created over layers, and actually the pressure of those layers over time creates something that’s beautiful,” said Mr Hoo.

“People often only remember the negatives of St Pauls, and spend little time thinking about all of the positives it has birthed.”

Each jewel features photos of different women from the community who have made significant contributions to the area.

Long time resident, Ms Scott said: “When I walked past the hotel, what used to be the old probation building, it was lovely to see this had been incorporated into the hotel.

“It is great to see St Paul’s legacy… our home, our community.”

The installation also includes a scannable QR code which includes voice clips from the women who are celebrated in the photos.

The other three installations, by different artists, are featured inside the Moxy hotel and celebrate different elements of St Paul’s cultural heritage.

“St Pauls has changed so much, and as someone who is originally from the area, I see there are many newcomers now,” added Mr Hoo.

“Being able to celebrate its past whilst marking its future is a really positive thing.”