Welcome Inn
Christopher Samuels
WARNING! This room is deliberately awkward (but fun) to stay in.It has been created by the artist Christopher Samuels to give visitors a taste, with a strong sense of humour, of what it is like to face access barriers, as disabled people regularly do, across the UK hotel network. Everything in this room functions – but not as easily as it should – as you will enjoy finding out. Chris uses an electric wheelchair and he cannot get into the room he has designed so it is definitely NOT suitable for people with restricted mobility.
It has a super comfy king size bed (if you can get into it), a Smart TV (that you can mirror your own screens on), and a small desk to write your letter of complaint to the hotel manager on, as well as a zingy coloured bathroom with shiny German and Swedish fittings. Its own dedicated free superfast wifi (which does actually work).
Room 1.08 - ‘The Welcome Inn’
Christopher Samuels
‘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.
about
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
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
biography
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.
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.