Darren Bader. 
Photo: Sebastian Kim.

Forget “I want Candy,” artist Darren Bader also wants Lisa, Stephanie, and Caroline, too.

An open call for the artist’s upcoming exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts asks Londoners with any of those four names (“The more Lisas, Carolines, Stephanies and Candys the merrier”) to participate in a work called Candy Says, Lisa Says, Stephanie Says, Caroline Says. Participants must show up, show an ID, and “converse among themselves, over their smartphones/computers, and to fig-2 visitors.”

And for willing participants of any other name (whose parents obviously weren’t Velvet Underground fans—the piece is a tribute to the late Lou Reed, who wrote the songs “Candy Says”, “Lisa Says”, “Caroline Says”, and “Stephanie Says”), it is still possible to participate in Bader’s crowd-sourced project.

Another open call requests musicians with knowledge of obscure instruments, such as the bagpipes, or alpine bell. Willing musicians will be assembled into quartets or quintets, which will together “write songs, modify genres, use a recording studio, and see what euphony may ensue.”

The third playful piece in the exhibition, Study for Eight Days a Week, is a continuation of Bader’s work in this year’s edition of the Lyon Biennale; in this Beatles-friendly sound work, the artist will group unrelated songs together based on their titles.

Promotional material for Darren Bader at ICA Studio.
Photo: Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ.

The works will mark the 39th week of Fig. 2 at the ICA, which presents 50 exhibitions in 50 weeks. Bader’s edition runs from 28 September to 4 October.