Thousands of unique hand-crafted objects loaned by hundreds of people will
go on display, with contributions invited from hobbyists such as costume and
cosplay makers, crocheters and knitters, wood carvers and model makers,
ceramicists, robotics engineers, origami specialists, augmented car
enthusiasts and many more.
The Hobby Cave, which has been commissioned by arts organisation
Artangel, will celebrate the millions of people across the UK who dedicate
their spare time to activities they are passionate about. It will explore how
individuals express their identity, character and creativity through their
favourite pastimes. The inaugural exhibition will open in London in July 2024,
followed by curated presentations at partner venues across the UK throughout
2025.
At the heart of the project is a new film by Hetain Patel, which explores the
outstanding creativity and passion that people put into their hobbies. The film
adopts the artist’s trademark style of combining high-end cinematic production
with scenes from the everyday to showcase ephemeral pastimes and
handcrafted objects in a visual language usually reserved for Hollywood films
and luxury advertising.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for Visitor City, Councillor
Bhupinder Gakhal, said: “This is an exciting project working with Artangel and
Hetain Patel.
“Across Wolverhampton residents and community groups always come
together and I know this will be no exception. Whether it be an individual
crafter or a community group that meet weekly, Wolverhampton is a city of
creativity.”
Hetain Patel said: “I’ve always been obsessed by handmade things. Growing
up in Bolton, in a working class culturally Indian household, we ate with our
hands, and many of my relatives worked as part of the manual labour force in
local factories. The empowering thing about hobbies is choice and doing
something on our own terms. The creative act is really hopeful, with huge

benefits to us individually and something that connects us to others
regardless of our differences.”
Mariam Zulfiqar said: “Hetain Patel’s work has always invited us to reflect on
identity as multidimensional and complex. For The Hobby Cave he
generously extends an invitation to people around the country, asking them to
share the objects, activities and pastimes that form part of their identity. The
ambitious presentation of hundreds of objects loaned by as many hobbyists
creates a new kind of picture, where people and their identities are seen
beyond national, racial, gendered or age-related categories that
conventionally categorise who we are. 
“Artangel is working with a network of leading arts and cultural organisations
to realise this ambitious project across the UK and supporting one of our most
exciting artists working today to create an exceptionally memorable and
inclusive project.”
Hetain Patel is an award-winning British-Gujarati artist and filmmaker. Much of
his practice is derived from his childhood hobbies and interests, including his
lifelong passion for Spider-Man. In 2013, the artist created his first sculpture,
Fiesta Transformer, when he converted his car into a real-life Transformer
robot with the help of his father. The Hobby Cave is Patel’s most ambitious
and far-reaching project to date.
National partners include Factory International, Manchester; Glynn Vivian,
Swansea; Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool; Museum of Making, Derby; National
Festival of Making, Blackburn; Barnsley Civic; Northern Gallery for
Contemporary Art, Sunderland; CCA Derry~Londonderry; Hospitalfield,
Arbroath; Inverness Museum and Art Gallery; Tate St Ives.
The public can submit details about their hobbies via
artangel.org.uk/mapping-our-hobbies   
ENDS
Image caption: ‘I spend my free time’