Known Unknowns ★★★★★, Saatchi Gallery

In art, it’s vital to engage with the unfamiliar: too often the name of the artist is a bigger draw than the art itself. This is the general premise of the new exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery: to make us familiar with a collection of artists whose names are not part of the dominant dialogue. And yet as a whole Known Unknowns feels unsatisfactory ­– there is no sense of cohesion or narrative to the exhibition.

Known Unknowns brings together 17 individual artists who work in a diverse range of media, from video to sculpture to collage. All born between 1966 and 1990, their work is varied in style and topic, reflecting the breadth of the contemporary art world itself.



You are being lied to, 2003 by Kirstine Roepstorff

But the big problem with the exhibition is that, in the galleries, we are left to fend for ourselves: there is no explanatory text introducing us to the works on display. This feels contradictory: the aim is to familiarize viewers with the artists but we are given next to no context – it’s like introducing two friends at a party and only allowing them to exchange names. As a viewer, we feel a little too lost.

Wandering around we see everything from a real speedboat (Undersea Cables, Reflected Ceiling Plans 2013 by Canadian multi-media artist Ben Schumacher) to the video Interloper, 2003 by award-winning Saskia Olde Wolbers. Overall, the artists individually engage with a wide range of ideas such as the body, pop culture and the digital age. The mix is eclectic and many of the works are daring, meaning that the art won't be to everyone's taste.

Although there is no connection between the artworks on show, individual pieces are worth going to see. Kirstine Roepstorff’s collages are huge displays of cultural protest made from cut up iconic images and glitter. Also make sure to gaze at Tom Anholt’s The Lion’s Second Dream, 2017 which depicts a surreal landscape in beautiful tones.

The variety on display at Known Unknowns means that there is art for everyone. Ultimately though, there is little purpose to the collection which leaves us feeling like something is lacking.