Blog

At first glance, the boy in the mural appears to be playing. But they are actually working on the piece that has appeared in Bristol.

The template shows the boy crouched holding a hammer, next to some stones that have been left on top of the Christmas Steps.

On a step next to the stones, there is a stencil of the Apple logo in a blue tint.

The mural has appeared near the top of the Christmas Steps – photo: Martin Booth

The work is by Hendog, an anonymous artist from Hampshire.

Writing on Instagram, the artist explained the piece, which he has called Terms and Conditions.

“In the Congo, large numbers of people are being exploited to extract cobalt from the Earth.

“The high demand for energy for rechargeable devices has resulted in a supply chain consisting of child labor, forced labor, almost no PPE, and artisanal miners, who in some cases can earn less than a dollar a day.

“This supply chain has been set up to enrich the few and exploit the many in Congo from a natural element that could have been used to help grow the economy. Give your people a better quality of life.

“Congolese blood runs through all rechargeable devices and the major tech companies are responsible for creating the demand.

“In my opinion, they are also responsible for making sure that their supply chains are free of human rights violations, modern slavery and child labour.

“Are these the terms and conditions you were forced to agree to?”

The mural shows a boy playing with stones next to the Apple logo – photo: Martin Booth

This last piece has been painted on the side of the Rova, below the dwellings that now make up the Foster’s Charities.

The chapel in the almshouses is dedicated to the three kings of Cologne, also known as the three wise men, and it is this connection to Christmas that is one of the theories for how Christmas Steps got its name.

Lead photo: Martin Booth

Read below:

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: