BOB BICKNELL-KNIGHT

Assembly (Relief), 2023
3D printed PLA plastic, acrylic spray paint, steel bolts
49.4 x 72.4 x 56.5 cm

Assembly (Relief) (2023) is a life-size sculpture of Wally, an anthropomorphised loot box from a fictional video game, part of a body of work exploring loot boxes and gambling mechanics being inserted into video game worlds. The work was originally produced for Sunday School, a solo exhibition by Bob Bicknell-Knight at Number 1 Main Road, Berlin, DE, 29th April – 23rd May 2023.

As our physical lives are becoming increasingly gamified the game industry has, for almost twenty years, been inserting ways of gambling real world money into video games. From purchasing extra lives to play another level in Candy Crush to buying new cosmetic options for your guns in Call of Duty, spending money within video games has become increasingly prevalent.

One of the most prevalent and destructive forms of monetization are loot boxes, consumable virtual items that are bought within the game which can be redeemed to receive a randomised selection of further virtual items, ranging from simple customization options for a player’s avatar or character to game-changing equipment such as weapons and armour. As the items are randomised players have previously spent thousands of pounds attempting to gain specific products in different games. These gambling mechanics have become widespread across the industry, with considerable harm being done to the most vulnerable players; children and people with gambling addictions. Loot boxes are now illegal in several countries, whereas recently the UK government decided that loot boxes will not be regulated under betting laws.

The life-sized loot box, alongside several other sculptures in the same series, explore the many emotional and physical states of Wally, posed in various situations, reflecting our collective emotions towards ideas of play and pain, both within video games and the wider world.

Each sculpture was 3D printed before being painted in the RGB colour scheme.

Assembly (Relief) has been included in the following exhibitions:

– Digital Portraiture: Empathy In Virtual Worlds, curated by Bob Bicknell-Knight. At [Senne], Brussels, BE, 25th April – 5th May 2024.
– Sunday School. At Number 1 Main Road, Berlin, DE, 29th April – 23rd May 2023.

Assembly (Relief) is part of a private collection in Belgium.