Scottish Art Events & Exhibitions: July 2024

Mount Stuart’s first exhibition of the year is a series of site-specific installations by Alberta Whittle situated throughout the house and gardens. Under the skin of the ocean, the thing urges us up wild reflects on the histories of Mount Stuart, the Isle of Bute and the Clyde in relation to ancestral roots, trade routes, power and empire. Continues until 11 August. 

In Glasgow, Cathy Wilkes’ show at the Hunterian continues past the end of Glasgow International until the end of September. The exhibition brings together new works which respond to conflict in the context of the artist’s upbringing in Northern Ireland. 

At Talbot Rice in Edinburgh, iconic Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui fills the gallery with his large-scale, vibrant multimedia sculptures. The most significant exploration of his practice ever staged in the UK, Scottish Mission Book Depot Keta spans five decades of the artist’s work. The exhibition runs throughout the summer, closing on 29 September. Also in Edinburgh, Fruitmarket is presenting Ibrahim Mahama’s first solo show in Scotland, Songs about Roses. The exhibition draws inspiration from the gallery’s proximity to Waverley station and the histories and legacies of Britain’s colonial railway systems in Ghana. Continues until 6 October. Close by at Collective, Moyna Flannigan’s exhibition Space Shuffle explores the unique context and architecture of the City Dome gallery. Flannigan was one of the gallery’s early committee members and the exhibition forms part of Collective’s 40th year celebrations. Continues until 15 September. 

July also presents the opportunity to see the most comprehensive exhibition to date of British painter Sheila Girling, opening at Bowhouse, near St Monans in Fife on 20 July. Presented by SPACE TO BREATHE, audiences will be able to view over 70 of her large scale paintings and collages from the 1970s to the 2010s. Continues until 5 August, before reopening again on 17 August for the rest of the month.