Stewarts Law RCA Secret Returns in September 2017
Royal College of Art, Dyson Building, 1 Hester Road, London SW11 4AN
Exhibition & sales: 9–15 September 2017, 9am–6pm. Late openings 11 & 15 until 8pm
Collection day: Saturday 16 September
Private View: 8 June September 2017
The Royal College of Art (RCA) is pleased to announce details of the eagerly awaited annual RCA Secret exhibition and sale, sponsored by Stewarts Law.
From 9 September 2017, RCA Secret will open at the Royal College of Art’s Battersea campus. The exhibition will feature over 2,000 postcard-sized artworks by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, illustrators and designers, as well as by promising students from the College.
Dr Paul Thompson, Rector RCA, said: ‘The annual RCA Secret exhibition is a unique and exciting art-world moment when a small part of the global contemporary art market is made accessible to all. The generous support of the artists and designers who donate their work to this much-needed cause, enables us to stage this superb exhibition. Each year RCA Secret helps to provide opportunities to the emerging artists and designers of the future, who – as students – are often stretched to their limits financially.’
Established in 1994, RCA Secret is London’s original postcard exhibition and sale. The exhibition attracts high-profile art collectors and passionate art lovers with the opportunity to buy original artworks from some of the worlds most acclaimed artists and designers. Each of the postcards on display is sold anonymously for £55, with the identity of the maker revealed only when the purchase is complete. All profits from the sale go towards the RCA Student Award Fund, which helps emerging artists at a formative stage in their careers by funding scholarships to the College.
Every contribution is an original artwork, produced with the same rigour as any other work by the maker. Although restricted to being postcard sized the subject matter and approaches vary widely, from photography and collage, to drawing, painting, and even sculpture and embroidery.
Previous contributions came from renowned alumni and friends of the College including David Bailey, Peter Blake, Margaret Calvert, Jake Chapman, Marion Coutts, Jeremy Deller, Sir James Dyson, Maggi Hambling, Thomas Heatherwick, Lubaina Himid, Anish Kapoor, Joseph Kosuth, Steve McQueen, Grayson Perry, Zandra Rhodes, Yinka Shonibare, Lawrence Weiner and Alison Wilding.
Images of all postcards in the exhibition will be released online from 9am on Friday 8 September, 24 hours before the exhibition opens to the public. In order to purchase a postcard, buyers must register on the RCA Secret website to obtain a buyer’s ID. Buyers will be able to purchase their chosen postcards throughout the exhibition from 9 to 15 September. This approach provides more opportunities to buyers, while still allowing visitors to enjoy the exhibition as all the postcards remain on display until the end of the exhibition. Purchased postcards can be collected in person on the collection day, Saturday 16 September, or posted once the exhibition has closed.
Stewarts Law LLP is proud to sponsor the RCA Secret Exhibition. Stewarts Law is one of the UK's leading litigation law firms. They have built a strong reputation for innovative and ground breaking dispute practice. www.stewartslaw.com
ENDS
For further information or images please contact Bethany Bull, RCA Press Office on t: +44 (0) 20 7590 4114, e: [email protected], or [email protected]
Notes to Editors
The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading university of art and design, placing at Number One in the 2017, 2016 and 2015 QS World University Rankings. Specialising in teaching and research, the RCA offers the degrees of MA, MPhil, MRes and PhD across the disciplines of applied art, fine art, design, communications and humanities. There are over 1,800 Master’s and doctoral students and more than 1,000 professionals interacting with them – including scholars, art and design practitioners, along with specialists, advisers and distinguished visitors. http://www.rca.ac.uk