(Things we're doing and stuff we like)
The “Surprise, Surprise” exhibition at the ICA represents the work of 40 contemporary artists who have been invited to create something that is different to what they are best known for. At the request of the artists and the curators, there aren’t any wall labels next to the art works. Only a floor plan indicates who has created which piece. The idea is to provoke a different kind of engagement when one sees artwork and doesn’t initially know who the artist is. The trouble is the surprise element of ‘Surprise Surprise’ is only effective if the viewer is familiar with the artist’s work. I ended up spending more time trying to locate each piece in the map to find the artists’ names because I was unfamiliar with them than I would have if the labels had been at their places.