BOB BICKNELL-KNIGHT

Nothing To Hide, 2022
Augmented reality
Dimensions variable

Nothing To Hide (2022) is a site-specific augmented reality (AR) artwork by Bob Bicknell-Knight, exploring how public space is becoming increasingly surveilled and curtailed by governments and corporations.

The work, which when activated presents a CCTV camera shaped like a butterfly flying around in a circle above the viewers head, resides at the five different entrances to One Tree Hill, a public park and nature reserve next to Honor Oak in South London, UK.

One Tree Hill has a long and complicated history, from supposedly being used as a resting place for Queen Elizabeth I in 1602 to having a Royal Naval Gun mounted at the summit during the first world war to defend London against bombing raids from German Zeppelins.

Since its inception One Tree Hill has been an open space for locals and recreational activities. In 1896 this ideology was threatened when the area was enclosed by a golf club who had bought it from the previous owners, erecting a six-foot fence around the entire area. The Enclosure of Honor Hill Protest Committee was established, and evidence was gathered to understand whether One Tree Hill was common land.

During this time many public protest meetings were taking place, which eventually led to a series of large-scale protests occurring at One Tree Hill. On the 17th October 1987 there were reported to be as many as 50,000 – 100,000 people protesting the fence, facing off against around 500 police officers. After years of negotiation between the Camberwell Borough Council and the owner of the hill, J. E. Ward, the land was eventually sold to the London County Council at the time for £6,100 in 1904. It was then re-opened to the public in 1905.

Nothing To Hide refers to this failed attempt at restricting public access to green space in the city. Simultaneously the work looks to the future of how public spaces in cities, and London in particular, are being continually restricted, hidden and erased by corporate giants.

The work is available to explore on Tethered Publics, a platform for exhibiting augmented reality, location-based digital art, and other emerging technologies, focused on creating hybrid digital experiences that allow you to explore art and your environment through a new lens.

Download the app, only on the App Store, here.

Nothing To Hide has been included in the following exhibitions:

– Digitally Specific. At Tethered Publics, London, UK, 7th October – onwards.