HAVE you ever felt hopelessly trapped while following the arrows in Ikea's labyrinthine Warrington store?

Or perhaps you love the Swedish firm's seemingly endless ideas for modern life and treat a visit more like going to a museum than a shopping trip.

If this sounds like you then you will probably find much to relate to at the new exhibition at Warrington Museum.

The Dream of Modern Living? runs from now until November 14 as part of Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival.

It explores how Warrington's response to furniture, DIY and home life has been shaped since Britain's first Ikea opened in the town in 1987.

Curator Paul Carey-Kent, former editor of Art World magazine, collected work from 12 artists and the collective, Artists Anonymous.

Among them are four newly commissioned pieces.

Highlights include Guy Ben-Ner's Stealing Beauty. The Israeli artist filmed his experiences attempting to live in an Ikea store.

You can also see how Marseilles-based Frédéric Pradeau got on attempting to build a Billy bookcase blindfolded.

And American artist Joe Scanlan will even be offering a book of instructions for how to build your own coffin using Ikea materials.

Paul said: "Warrington had the first Ikea store in the country so an exhibition like this seemed particularly appropriate.

"I also thought it would be an interesting idea for a show. On the one hand Ikea is very popular but on the other hand it could be seen negatively as part of the rise of consumerism.

"You worry about things becoming bland and globalised.

"But people go to see things and explore new ideas and even to eat different food. It’s not necessarily about the furniture.

"I think British culture has changed over the last couple of decades when you look at how we treat coffee or the variety of food on the high street.

"I think design is part of that as well. There’s a broader scope of things that people are into and the things people want for their home is part of that big picture."

Paul, who also works as an accountant, started curating shows two years ago and this is his seventh show

The Southampton resident added: "What I most like about art is the chance to see what someone else is thinking and how it is expressed in a certain form.

"I like it when exhibitions provoke a reaction. I like there to be some themes behind it which make people not only enjoy it but make them think as well."