Leading names from the worlds of contemporary art, design, fashion and film have donated postcard size artworks to the 18th RCA SECRET selling event at the infamous postgraduate college, the Royal College of Art.

RCA SECRET 2011

Exhibition open: 18th-25th November 2011

Sale day: 26th November 2011, 8am-6pm

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

Mini masterpieces by new and established talents are up for sale at just £45 each. The money raised from sales goes to the RCA Fine Art Student Award Fund, helping hundreds of emerging artists at a formative stage in their careers.

Artists who have contributed artworks include Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Grayson Perry, Yoko Ono and Olafur Eliasson; designers Sir James Dyson and Kenneth Grange; fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Erdem and Dries can Noten; and film makers Nick Park and Mike Leigh.

RCA SECRET is an annual exhibition and sale of around 2000 postcard-sized original artworks. The postcards are sold to the public in a huge sale that draws a queue of hundreds keen to buy an original artwork for a bargain price.

What’s the secret? Each postcard is signed on the back, so collectors don’t know the identity of the artist until they have made their purchase. A lot of it is down to pure luck and many collectors don’t realise whose work they have chosen until they hand over their cash on the sale day.

Artists may choose to paint, draw, sketch or even imitate the work of other artists as long as it’s postcard-sized.

Potential collectors are able to view all the postcards in person at the RCA in London or online at www.rca.ac.uk/secret from 18th November. All postcards go up for sale for one day only on Saturday 26th November at the RCA.

Postcards can only be bought on a first come, first served basis, with no sealed bids or reservations in advance.

There will be a raffle for collectors to win a position in the first fifty places in the queue.

RCA SECRET is only made possible with the sponsorship of Stewarts Law LLP.

Show RCA, Royal College of Art‘s annual postgraduate exhibition, returns this year to showcase the next generation of artists, designers, writers and thinkers simultaneously for the first time since the 2007 Great Exhibition. Show RCA 2011 features a culmination of the studio work and research of 431 graduating art and design students in a range of disciplines.

SHOW RCA 2011, 24th June-3rd July 2011

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

Catherine Aitken – Textiles. Top: Louis Thompson – Ceramics & Glass

Jack Smith – Design Products

Makiko Nakamura – Ceramics & Glass with Marina Dragomirova – Design Products

Pia Wustenberg – Design Products

Sarah Wiberley – Ceramics & Glass

Royal College of Art‘s annual contemporary art exhibition – RCA Secret – returns in 2010, featuring over 2,500 original postcard-sized artworks made and donated by professional artists, designers and illustrators, plus students and alumni from RCA.

RCA SECRET 2010

12th & 14th-19th November 2010, 11am-6pm daily

Sale day: 20th November 2010, 8am-6pm

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

The cards are all sold to the public in a huge sale, with every postcard costing just £45, regardless of whether it has been made by a famous name or a young art student. All monies raised goes to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund.

The secret is that the authorship of each postcard is kept a mystery, so collectors don’t know the identity of the artist until they have made their purchase. A lot of it is down to pure luck and many collectors don’t realise whose work they have chosen until they hand over their cash on the sale day.

Artists may choose to paint, draw, sketch or even produce a 3D sculpture as long as it’s postcard-sized. Each postcard is signed on the back.

Visitors this year can expect over 2,500 postcards including artists Grayson Perry, Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Olafur Eliasson, Jake Chapman, Yoko Ono, Sir Anthony Caro, photographer David Bailey, filmmaker Mike Leigh animator Nick Park, and illustrator Quentin Blake.

Designers include Ron Arad, Sir Ken Adam, Sir James Dyson and Ross Lovegrove, and fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Monolo Blahnik, Mary Quant and Julien Macdonald.

Potential collectors are able to view all the postcards in person at the RCA or online from 12th November. All postcards go up for sale for one day only on Saturday 20th November at the RCA. Postcards are bought on a first come, first served basis, with no sealed bids or reservations in advance. You must have a Collectors Number to purchase a card.

The colour red is often symbolically associated with sin, guilt, pain, passion, blood, anger and debt. Might this be an over-analysis of French architect Jean Nouvel‘s all red design for the 10th annual Serpentine Gallery Pavilion?

SERPENTINE PAVILION, 10th July-17th October 2010

SERPENTINE GALLERY

Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA (020 7402 6075)

As Nouvel would have it, his use of the colour red is supposed to reflect iconic British images of post boxes, telephone boxes and London buses. That seems all too stereotypical for us Londoners. We prefer Nouvel’s more straightforward justification which is that red simply contrasts with the green of its park surroundings.

The metal structure of the building consists of geometric forms, large retractable awnings and a freestanding wall that climbs 12 metres above the lawn. Glass, polycarbonate, and fabric structures combine to create a versatile system of interior and exterior spaces.

This year’s pavilion hones in on the idea of play, as it is Nouvel’s desire to bring the tradition of French civic parks to London. Visitors can partake in a game of table tennis on, yes, red tables.Other games of chess, frisbee and kite flying are also on hand to entertain the public throughout the summer.

Visitors can relax in the Serpentine Gallery Cafe or attend one of the many events taking place within the structure, including the popular ‘Park Nights’ programme of public talks.

The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion commission is an ongoing annual programme of temporary structures by internationally acclaimed architects and designers who have not yet completed a building in England at the time of the gallery’s invitation.

Invited by the Gallery Director Julia Peyton-Jones and currently funded by a range of companies and individuals, including Arts Council England, each pavilion provides a welcoming spectacle for the arrival of summer.

The Royal College of Art’s talent pool of 2010 is on show within the college galleries in Kensington. This end of year showcase is an important time for talent scouts to pick up on the latest postgraduate talent and their challenging ideas.

RCA SHOW PART TWO, 25th June-4th July 2010

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

Part Two is dedicated to graduating students from Animation, Architecture, Communication Art & Design, Design Products, Design Interactions, Fashion Footwear and Accessories, History of Design, Innovation Design Engineering, Textiles and Vehicle Design.

This year is Tord Boontje‘s first show as Head of Design Products. His students have taken over a whole floor of the Stevens Building, just a short walk from the main galleries across Jay Mews. This gives the department a unique space to exhibit and interact with visitors so be sure to pop over the road to see it.

For the first time at the RCA Show, a group of students from several departments are exhibiting collectively in the central courtyard of the Darwin building, under the banner Department 21. They are hosting a series of public events with guests speakers.

Furthermore, Painting and Sculpture students are exhibiting simultaneously at the RCA’s new Battersea campus (Howie Street, SW11 4AS). Hop on board a Routemaster bus for a free ride between the two Shows, running every half hour on weekends throughout Show Two dates.

The Royal College of Art‘s talent pool of 2010 is on show within the college galleries in Kensington. This end of year showcase is an important time for talent scouts to pick up on the latest postgraduate talent and their challenging ideas.

SHOW 2010 PART ONE, 28th May – 6th June 2010

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART

Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

Part One is dedicated to students of ceramics and glass; goldsmithing, silversmithing, metalwork, and jewellery; painting; photography; printmaking; and sculpture.

All of the students are contactable and they all welcome new commissions as they embark on an exciting career following their world-renowned education at this college.

The show is open daily from 11am-8pm.

Part Two begins on 25th June 2010.