Inverleith House
'Probably the most ideal gallery in Britain' (John McEwen, Sunday Telegraph).
'It is that extreme rarity, a public space with a contemplative atmosphere, well-proportioned rooms and clear Northern daylight, run by a small, and devoted staff." (Mark Francis).
| Inverleith House has gained international recognition for inviting artists with emerging and established reputations to visit Scotland for the first time, to create and present exhibitions of new work, whilst similarly working with Scottish artists to present their work on an international stage and for new audiences. |
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It is run and maintained by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh; one of the world's great botanic gardens and Edinburgh's top free visitor attraction. Many are introduced to art of the highest quality and relevance for the first time through visiting Inverleith House. The active belief that both art and science are necessary in our appreciation and understanding of the natural world makes the Garden unique and pre-eminent in this respect, amongst botanic gardens worldwide.
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The Royal Botanic Garden was founded in 1670. It occupies the site at Inverleith in Edinburgh and three other specialist gardens located across Scotland, together attracting three quarters of a million visitors each year. In addition to the Garden's living collection of 20,000 plant species grown both outdoors and in spectacular glasshouses, there is also a herbarium which contains over two million dried specimens, and leading-edge research facilities for the identification and classification of plant species from all continents. |
Designed for the Rocheid family in 1774, Inverleith House was the family residence of successive Regius Keepers (Directors of the Garden), until becoming the founding home of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, from 1960 to 1984. In 1986 it reverted to use by the Garden, this time dedicated to running a programme of temporary exhibitions which continues to this day.
It has been in receipt of project funding from The Scottish Arts Council since 1995, and in 2003 became a core-funded organisation, which currently receives £60,000 annually.
Inverleith House was refurbished in 2004 to provide improved access and dedicated educational facilities, with the support of £150,000 from Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Funds. |
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The education programme links the exhibitions at Inverleith House with the Garden and its schools and adult education programme. It has strong links with schools, colleges and universities - particularly Edinburgh College of Art, working at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and teaching formally the postgraduate course 'Art, Space and Nature'. The education room at Inverleith House is used for workshops and events, and the main lecture theatre is used for larger talks and indoor presentations for up to 250.
In 1994, Inverleith house created a theatre company, with the director Toby Gough to write, produce and perform new plays outdoors in the Garden. Theatrum Botanicum returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe again this year.
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Since its inception, Inverleith House has concentrated upon inviting artists to make new work in response to the gallery and its surroundings, and virtually all exhibitions in the programme now follow this model... |
...fostering artistic creative development and expression and bringing this to audiences of all ages, abilities and backgrounds remains central to our programme.
There are four exhibition changes each year (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter), with one or two exhibitions being shown at any one time. Occasionally, botanical drawings and photographs from the archive of the Royal Botanic Garden are conserved, and contemporary artists, such as Graham Fagen, Laura Owens and Rudi Stingel are invited to make work in response to these collections, which are exhibited simultaneously with new work (forthcoming: Rudi Stingl and The Botanical Drawings of Robert Whyte, Spring 2006).
Wherever possible, publications are commissioned to accompany each exhibition. For details of those currently available, please contact the gallery.
| In recent years, major solo exhibitions have included: Carl Andre, Lothar Baumgarten, Alan Charlton, Mat Collishaw, Graham Fagen, Callum Innes, Alan Johnston, Stanley Kubrick, Jim Lambie, Lucy McKenzie and Paulina Olowska, John McLaughlin... |
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...Agnes Martin, Hellen van Meene, Paul Morrison, Laura Owens, Ulrich Ruckriem, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, Myron Stout, Richard Tuttle, Cy Twombly, Ruth Vollmer, Andy Warhol, Lawrence Weiner, Cathy Wilkes, Franz West and Richard Wright.
Exhibitions
Ian Hamilton Finlay - 'Sentences' is running from 29 July - 23 October 2005. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5.30pm (daily during August), admission is free.
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Celebrating the artist's 80th year, this is a major exhibition of new work by Ian Hamilton Finlay, and his largest in Scotland since the 1972 retrospective exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, then located at Inverleith House. Presented in association with exhibitions at The Ingleby Gallery and the Scottish Poetry Library. |
Exhibition Publication: Ian Hamilton Finlay 'Sentences' is Designed by Ian Hamilton Finlay and Pia Maria Simig to accompany the exhibition, 'Sentences' is a thread-sewn 32 page booklet printed in eight colours, in an edition of 1000 copies. Published by Wild Hawthorn Press and The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, ISBN 1 872291 99 6, this will be made available at a special exhibition price, with a number of copies signed by the artist. Please enquire for further details.
Events
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Visit Little Sparta
Regular coach tours to Little Sparta, Ian Hamilton Finlay's world-famous garden near Dunsyre in the Pentland Hills, every Wednesday and Saturday from 30 July to 10 September. |
Costing £12.00 / £8.00 concessions (includes entry to garden) these are led by Jane Corrie and Sophie Dodds, and must be booked in advance. Tel. 0131 248 2983, for more information email ihouse@rbge.org.uk.
Gelatin - Gelatin and the hare 'Dependance Declaration"
12 August, Lecture Theatre, 20a Inverleith Row, admission free. The first visit to Scotland by the internationally acclaimed performance art group from Vienna. Kindly supported by Gagosian Gallery. Please contact Inverleith House for further details.
With the Grain - The Life and Legacy of Tim Stead. Exhibition Hall, 26 June - 4 September. Open daily, 10am - 5 pm, admission free. A new exhibition celebrating the life and work of an inspirational artist and craftsman, through furniture and writings - communicating an overriding passion for wood and woodland conservation. Accompanying publication.
| Theatrum Botanicum 'Children of the Sea.' The Herald Archangel award-winning theatre company formed by Inverleith House in 1994, returns with another outdoor performance. Tales of hope from the survivors of the Tsunami - theatre, music & dance from Sri Lanka... |
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...under the stars in 'the best venue in the Festival' (The Scotsman). Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 3-28 August, 8.30pm - 10pm. Fringe box office 226 0000.
Keith Farquhar and Mark Leckey - New Work. 5 November - 8 January 2006. Roni Horn - Inverleith House./Museion. 21 January - 19 March 2006.
Rudi Stingl and Robert Whyte's Indian Botanical Drawings - April 2006, onwards.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, including Inverleith House, is fully accessible to wheelchair users, and welcomes visits from individuals or groups with special needs.
By car, arrive at the West Gate Entrance on Arboretum Place. Inverleith House is a short walk from the Gate.
By Bus, no.s 23 & 27, from Hanover Street/The Mound, arrive at the East Gate; Inverleith House is a 5 minute walk from the Gate. No.s 8 & 17, from North Bridge/Broughton Street, also arive at the East Gate.
Inverleith House
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
20a Inverleith Row
Edinburgh
EH3 5LR
Telephone - 0131 248 2983
Facsimile - 0131 248 2901
Email ihouse@rbge.org.uk |