The Annual Exhibition is the core of the RSA’s exhibition programme, and represents the Academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in visual art in Scotland. In light of the current extraordinary circumstances, the RSA team has been working hard to ensure that the exhibition goes ahead in a new, entirely digital format.
The exhibition is available to view entirely online, with accompanying detailed commentary from exhibiting artists. The RSA Annual Exhibition is the most extensive exhibition of contemporary art and architecture in Scotland. Having been a mainstay of the academy’s calendar since its inception 193 years ago, the Annual Exhibition has evolved over the years, providing a platform for Scottish art alongside international artists, often including topical or political elements, to give an uncensored, independent voice to artists.
This year’s Convenor is Graeme Todd RSA, assisted by Deputy Convenor Henry McKeown RSA.
After its hugely successful re-introduction in 2019, the Open Art element has returned once again as a vital component of the exhibition, alongside it’s Architecture counterpart.
This year’s Convenor invited a group of artists to show together, alongside his own work, to complement the main body of the exhibition. Describing his selection Todd said:
‘I asked Richard Walker, Maria Chevska, Angus Hood, Liz Adamson and Steven Cox to show alongside one another to present work that answers to a common call – an invitation to “an idea of indoor space, a room, sharing ideas around presence, occupancy, the intimate, the hand-made, the provisional, the everyday” that came as a tacit response to the scale of the galleries to form a gradient between the cavernous and a more intimate kind of space – perhaps just like the one you are sitting in now as you read this text – one where dialogues between artworks can be detected as conversations formed within a more intimate context – sometimes we must whisper to one another. Keep it between us… beauty, breadth and brilliance; amplitude, elevation and handsomeness; sublimity, and transcendence…’
In addition to this, Graeme Todd also invited his Hanging Committee to each select one artist to show in the exhibition. Selected artists include: Naomi Ojima, Leena Nammari, Toby Paterson, Iain Patterson, Rory Donaldson and Patricia Macdonald.
The majority of works are available to purchase online. The RSA is part of the Own Art scheme, allowing you to spread the costs over 10 monthly instalments. To make an enquiry or request further details please contact Flora La Thangue at floralathangue@royalscottishacademy.org.
A small selection of the works from the exhibition can be viewed on this exhibition page.
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