'Psychedelia' exhibition and auction, ICA

By Apphia Michael
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is turning to psychedelics for its fundraising mission this year - and by that we mean through the medium of artwork of course, rather than hallucinogens.


See more artist-customised pieces available for auction in ICA's 'Psychadelia'

With furniture and bicycles donated from Made.com and Verolution, a mega-mix of high profile contemporary artists have been assembled to interpret the theme on to the products. The finished effects - from a neon paint-splattered Damien Hirst bike, to an Alison Jackson-customised football table complete with pasted-on heads of celebrity 'football players' - are all indeed pretty mind-bending.


The trippy end result of artist Ai Wei Wei customisation of made.com's Hollander M bike.

Held in the ICA for the first time since its inception, this year's fundraising party on 29 March will give supporters a chance - through a mix of live and silent auctions - to bid for original pieces which have been painted, embellished, re-molded, stretched, shrunk, and sometimes plain deconstructed by the likes of Jake and Dinos Chapman, Mat Collishaw, Gary Hume, Gavin Turk, Bob & Roberta Smith and Toby Ziegler, to name an illustrious few.

Perhaps a clue to the sale's estimated performance is the fact that it's being presided over by top Sotheby's auctioneer Oliver Barker, but think again if you assume this bidding war is restricted to guests on the night only - all the all-star artist artworks will be displayed at the ICA for the next few days, and visitors can make pre-bids on the auction lots online