RCA Secret 2008 viewing starts today

Viewing for RCA Secret 2008 starts today, 14th November.

For those of you who aren't already in the know, RCA Secret is an exhibition of postcards which takes place at the Royal College of Art in London every year. Blank postcards are decorated by their fine art students, and also famous artists, but they are signed on the back. You pay £40 for each card, for the chance of winning an artwork by artists and designers such as Yoko Ono, Tracy Emin, Grayson Perry, Manolo Blahnik and Anish Kapoor, but you don't discover the identity of the artist until the exhibition is over.

I think it is such a brilliant fundraising idea, and in fact, it was the inspiration for my 30th birthday postcard exhibition a few years ago. I sent all my friends a blank postcard and asked them to draw on it and put their names on the back. Luckily, they all complied, and sent them back to me before my party so that I could curate the exhibition! I was so impressed with the diversity of designs I got, especially as I ever so slightly forced people to take part. I have kept all the postcards in an album, and just to give any friend readers advance warning, I will be rolling out this idea again for my next significant birthday, whether this be 35 or 40.

There are 2,700 postcards in the exhibition this year, and advance viewing runs from 14th - 21st November, with sale day on the 22nd November. Proceeds go to support the College's Fine Art students. Online advance viewing is also available, here.