Discover a giant 3ft spider and works by the biggest names in modern and contemporary art at National Galleries Scotland Modern: One
National Galleries Scotland: Modern One
Free to visit
Opens 12 July 2025
Discover some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art at Modern One this Summer with a series of free ARTIST ROOMS displays in Edinburgh, opening this weekend, 12 July 2025.
The national touring collection, cared for jointly by the National Galleries of Scotland and Tate, offers the opportunity to see compelling works by pioneering artists of our time. Experience impactful new displays by Louise Bourgeois, Helen Chadwick and Robert Mapplethorpe, each offering distinctive and diverse approaches to the ideas of self-expression, identity, and the complexity of our inner life.
Visitors will encounter Louise Bourgeois’s giant Spider (1994), standing at an impressive three metres high, innovative works by Helen Chadwick, and Robert Mapplethorpe’s striking self-portraits.
Themes in these three exciting ARTIST ROOMS presentations have provided the starting point for a series of new displays across Modern One, showcasing further works from the nation’s magnificent collection.
Explore paintings, drawings, prints and photography by artists such as Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Sarah Lucas, Jasleen Kaur, Edvard Munch, Lee Miller and many more! Offering something for everyone, these displays provide a place to think, dream, and reflect.
Explore the works of French-American Louise Bourgeois, one of the most influential artists of her generation whose career spanned eight decades, from the 1930s until 2010.
Her endlessly inventive work, inspired by her own experiences, included paintings and drawings, sculptures using fabric and rubber, and monumental installations.
The display will draw out the ways Bourgeois used art as an act of catharsis, with works exploring selfhood, family connections, motherhood and memory.
Visitors will discover two important works on paper – 10 am is When You Come to Me (2005) and Spirals (2005) – and a rare early painting, made by Bourgeois in 1946-7. Discover her late sculpture Untitled (1996) made when Bourgeois was eighty-five, representing a portrait of the artist’s aging body using clothes and undergarments she had worn during her lifetime.
Be inspired by the radical, sensuous, and often playful works of British artist Helen Chadwick. One of the first women artists to be nominated for the Turner Prize in 1987, her innovative and unconventional use of materials was hugely influential on a younger generation of British artists.
Her death in 1996 at 42 curtailed a career marked by inventive transgression, questioning gender representation and the nature of desire. Early photographic works in this display will explore how she used her own body to consider autobiography, self-knowledge, the cycles of life and familial relationships.
Discover how Chadwick developed her practice to incorporate other matter as stand ins for the body, as found in Self Portrait (1991) and Meat Abstract (1989), both held in Scotland’s collection.
The display will feature Chadwick’s major sculptural installation, Piss Flowers (1991-2), lent by Tate having recently been donated as part of the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift.
Throughout all her work Chadwick addressed deeply philosophical questions about the interconnectedness of physical and emotional states, life and death, beauty and decay, and attraction and repulsion.
ARTIST ROOMS features one of the largest and best collections of photographic works by the American Robert Mapplethorpe in existence.
A pioneer of black-and-white photography, within his relatively short career, Mapplethorpe was recognised as one of the most significant fine art photographers of the late 20th century, making images that both challenge and engage with classical notions of beauty.
The display will focus on a selection of the artist’s iconic self-portraits, demonstrating how Mapplethorpe examined his own persona. Made over a period of more than 10 years, they show the powerful ways Mapplethorpe captured the many facets of his own evolving identity.
Delve into displays showcasing the breadth of Scotland’s modern and contemporary collection as you wander through the rest of Modern One. Come face to face with compelling self-portraits by some of the most well-known international artists of the 20th and 21st century.
Be moved by striking works exploring connection and care, including two works by Turner Prize winning artist Jasleen Kaur acquired in 2024 for the nation. Explore how artists such as Bill Viola, Pablo Picasso, Everlyn Nicodemus, Pat Douthwaite and Don McCullin have addressed personal and collective grief.
Find your moment of pause and reflection in a room pairing contemplative paintings by acclaimed American abstract artist, Agnes Martin (from the ARTIST ROOMS collection) with Shirazeh Houshiary’s 1992 Round Dance series, offering a place of calm.
Dive into Summer with captivating experiences at Modern One. Families can pack a picnic and relax in the stunning grounds surrounding the gallery. On arrival you will be in awe of the spiralling Landform in front of the gallery, designed by landscape architect Charles Jencks.
Pick up a free copy of the sculpture trail for kids or download it before you arrive and enjoy it on your device as you set off to discover sculptural works by major artists including Barbara Hepworth, Joan Miró and Tracey Emin.
A Family Art Basket can be collected for free, packed with everything you need to find, chat and make together – be inspired by the fascinating art both inside and outside the gallery and allow your own creativity to flow.
Lucy Askew, Chief Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art said, ‘We’re delighted that from this July, visitors to Modern One can explore new, free displays from the nation’s collection.
“Art can be a source of insight and delight, helping us make sense of our place in the world. At the heart of these displays will be presentations of works by Louise Bourgeois, Helen Chadwick and Robert Mapplethorpe, featured as part of our ARTIST ROOMS collection.
“All three artists considered deeply what it is to be human, expressing this in dynamic, intriguing and often playful ways. Their art not only reflects shared experiences, bringing attention to the things that connect us, but also offers a window onto different perspectives.
“We hope visitors will be inspired by their vision and creativity, and by the work of the many other impressive and engaging artists featured. There is truly something for all to discover.’
“Come freely. Go freely. And leave some of the happiness you bring”
Fringe theatregoers this summer are being encouraged to take up Count Dracula’s sinister invitation and experience a production of Liz Lochhead’s take on the classic horror tale by the Edinburgh Makars.
This theatrical version of Dracula had its premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh 40 years ago, but it’s unique approach to Bram Stoker’s timeless story of history’s most infamous vampire is still just as fresh and relevant today.
Bee Parkinson-Cameron, a Fife-based writer, performer and director, is making their Edinburgh Makars directorial debut and the talented cast consists of actors from across the city and the central belt.
Of their decision to direct Dracula at the Fringe, Bee said: “After the recent success of Robert Egger’s Nosferatu, it became clear to me that this was the opportunity and the moment to bring to life in one of the largest arts festivals in the world, the wonderful, engaging and dark adaptation of Dracula by Liz Lochead.
“Dracula was a deeply disturbing, unsettling and fantastical, thrillingly erotic tale when it was released, a testament to the skill of Bram Stoker to tap into the tensions and fears of the time period. My intention in this production is to bring forth this aspect, to return this quality of disturbance back to Dracula that can sometimes be neglected for the sake of parody (amusing though they may be).
“Vampires and the appreciation of vampire lore and vampires featuring in literature, film and television has coloured many of the years of my life. I have a deep and enduring passion for the articulation and exploration of the darker elements of human existence and the moments where we brush against the preternatural.”
The cast includes many actors whose names will be familiar to regular patrons of Edinburgh theatre, but the titular role is being brought to life by newcomer Sonido Kofi Sewornu, an 18-year-old student from Perth who is studying Fashion Design at Glasgow School of Art.
On being cast as one of the most famous names in literature, Kofi said: “I am terrified to play this role, but I couldn’t be more excited. I hope some of that terror translates onto the stage!”
Dracula is something of a departure from the kind of productions that the Edinburgh Makars have usually put on at the Fringe, but President John Scott Moncrieff and the rest of the club’s committee were convinced by Bee Parkinson-Cameron’s obvious enthusiasm for the project.
Edinburgh has long had an association with the gothic, and retelling Liz Lochhead’s version in the city 40 years after its debut was too exciting an opportunity to resist.
Whether you’re a die-hard vampire aficionado, a lover of all things gothic or just have an appreciation for classic literature, this production guarantees an exciting and chilling evening at the Fringe.
Director Bee added: “I hope that you will enjoy the invitation we extend to you to join us in this exploration of the insidious nature of gothic horror and of Dracula himself, a titan of vampire lore whose shadows are still creeping over and caressing our souls and our fears.”
The Edinburgh Makars’ production of Dracula by Liz Lochhead will be performed at the Royal Scots Club on Abercromby Place (Venue 241) from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd August at 7:30pm each evening. Tickets are £15 or £12 for students and can be purchased in advance from the Edinburgh Makars or Fringe websites.
CAST:
Sonido Kofi Sewornu as Dracula
Craig Gell as Jonathan Harker
Phillipa Roy as Mina Westerman
Bunny Steven as Lucy Westerman and vampire bride
Chris Eyett as Van Helsing
Emma Swift as Florrie and vampire bride
James Gray as Renfield
James Cameron as Arthur Seward
Liza Greenhalgh as Mrs Manners/Doctor Goodman/vampire bride
Carol Davidson as Nurse Grice
Georgia Smith as Nurse Nisbett
Ben Carey as Drinkwater
The Makars was founded in 1932 by Christine Orr, the well-known Scottish actress, broadcaster and playwright, with the intention of performing her own plays.
During the winter of 1933/34 the name “The Makars” was adopted, an old Scots word for the makers of poetry and drama.
The present club was formed in May 1996 by the amalgamation of two long standing Edinburgh drama clubs – The Makars and Davidson’s Mains Dramatic Club (DMDC). In 2002 the new club formally adopted the name The Edinburgh Makars.
Previous Fringe productions have included Amy’s View by David Hare, A Comedy of Tenors by Ken Ludwig, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon and the five-star production of Perfect Wedding by Robin Hawdon.
A zookeeper turned secondary school teacher is swapping the penguin enclosure for the classroom after ‘coming home’ to graduate from Edinburgh Napier University for a second time.
Having held several roles at Edinburgh Zoo, including as its head of penguins, the 33-year-old from Edinburgh developed a passion for education while putting on tours for groups of young people.
When she decided to retrain as a secondary school teacher to fit her career around her young family, Edinburgh Napier University was the only place for her.
Kirsty said: “I had done bits of education at the zoo – taking tours and showing groups of children around. I found I was becoming much more confident about speaking to large groups and started to really enjoy it. I just thought, ‘hey, I’m quite good at this!’
“Teaching is something which had been in the back of my mind for a few years. However, I’d previously spoken to friends who had done a PGDE and warned that it was challenging, so I’d put it off for a wee while.
“But then I just took the leap and left my job at the zoo.
“Edinburgh Napier was the only place I applied for, because I love it so much. I really enjoyed my time here. It was less scary because it felt like home.
“I had always thought about becoming a teacher but never had to confidence to go for it.
“Even after the first day, I knew it was the right decision. My fellow teachers are wonderful, and I feel like it is my true calling. It is an absolute dream come true.”
Part of Kirsty’s motivation to change career was the expected arrival of her second child – having welcomed her son, Artie, into the world in 2020.
Kirsty added: “When I found out I was pregnant again, I decided that I needed a better life for our children.
“I knew teacher training was going to be tough, and I was worried about telling the University about my pregnancy, but the lecturers couldn’t have been more supportive.
“I completed 6 months of the course and then had to suspend my studies when we welcomed baby Primrose. I had a full year off but kept in touch with University as I had made wonderful connections – I’d go in with Prim to meet them for coffee!
“Resuming studies was extremely intimidating. Especially since I was heading straight into my third teaching placement. But ENU was there to support me, and it was such a personal experience.”
As Kirsty graduates, she is now preparing to start work as a biology teacher at the beginning of the next school year.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the course,” she said. “We were taught how to teach, rather than just the theory of it.
“Right from week six we were in a classroom seeing how it’s done. We got so much practical experience.
“I would advise anyone like me who has had teaching in the back of their mind to go for it.”
Kirsty joined fellow students from ENU’s School of Applied Sciences in celebrating their graduation on Wednesday at the Usher Hall. Over the next three days, around 2,300 new graduates will be formally presented with their qualifications.
Edinburgh Napier launched its PGDE courses in 2018 as part of an effort to train more teachers in Scotland, and now offers students the opportunity to complete the qualification across a range of different subjects.
A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged following the recovery of drugs with an estimated street value in excess of £347,760, in South West Edinburgh.
Around 12pm on Wednesday, 9 July 2025, officers acting on information received searched a flat in Calder Road where they found a cannabis cultivation.
The man was due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday and a report has been submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Don’t forget to visit Trinity House in Leith for their ‘Family Friday tours’.
Until 8 August, at 11am on Fridays, you can enjoy a relaxed tour of the house with activities to suit younger visitors.
Discover the animals that sailors might meet on their travels and take part in an activity trail. You can also visit the sixteenth centuries vaults – once used as a school for young sailors to learn mathematics and navigation – and handle objects used at sea.
Find out more about alcohol and mental health: https://bit.ly/46J2mtf
Family Friday tours at Trinity House 