Lives: Reimagined at Granton:hub

Join us on the 23rd and 24th of November from 11am – 4pm for Sasha Saben Callaghan’s ‘Lives: Reimagined’.

The theme for Disability History Month Scotland 2024 is ‘Disabled People: Livelihood and Employment’. 

Disability has been seen for many years as synonymous with non-employment or unemployment.

This of course is not true. Disabled people have always sought a means of surviving whether in begging, employment or on welfare or charity.

Sasha Saben Callaghan’s ‘Lives: Reimagined‘ project explores the experiences of some of the disabled ‘inmates’ of the poorhouses which used to serve the Granton area, St Cuthbert’s, North Leith and South Leith, and imagines a very different life for the ‘pauper’ occupants.

Inspace Gallery: How to Find the Soul of a Sailor

The New Real Unveils First Iteration of Kasia Molga’s Immersive Multimedia Experience, How to Find the Soul of a Sailor, at Inspace Gallery

Exhibition Dates: December 12 – 21, 2024; January 6 – 11, 2025, closed on Sundays.

Times: 10:00-17:00

Exhibition launch: December 12, 2024 5pm – 8pm, artist talk and light refreshments.

Tickets are limited

Please reserve a ticket on Eventbrite – How to Find the Soul of a Sailor Artist Talk and Opening Event Tickets, Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite

Free admission

Location: Inspace Gallery, 1 Crichton St, Newington, Edinburgh EH8 9AB

Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible venue

Kasia Molga, an acclaimed interdisciplinary artist, designer and storyteller invites you to explore her first iteration of How to Find the Soul of a Sailor, a deeply personal and innovative project that fuses the past, present, and future through the lens of artificial intelligence and memory.

This work is the result of The New Real 2023-2024 commission “Uncanny Machines” supported by the Scottish AI Alliance. Hosted at Inspace Gallery with additional support from Arts Council England, this unique early access version runs from December 12-21, 2024, and January 6-11, 2025.

Immerse yourself in a deeply personal journey to the future of our oceans and sailors’ time at sea. Experience the Mediterranean sea through the eyes of Molga’s late father, Tadeusz Molga, a devoted sailor.

During his voyages, he meticulously documented his passion for the ocean, a love he shared with young Kasia as she accompanied him on his ship. Fifteen years after his passing, Molga is left with a profound sense of loss and a collection of his cherished diaries. When the memories of their time together begin to fade, she turns to these diaries, clinging to the remnants of his voice and their shared experiences at sea.

Molga’s work captures an emotional and environmental journey highlighting the fragility of our oceans, the ever-changing work conditions of sailors, and speculates on the future and what her father would say.

Molga uses The New Real’s specialised experiential AI platform, The New Real Observatory, to reimagine her father’s words, projecting them 50 years into the future. This project is a powerful fusion of memory and technology, blending generative AI tools with climate data to create an emotionally charged narrative that visualises both the past and future of our oceans.

Molga’s exhibition uniquely combines English and Polish, creating a bilingual experience that delves into the profound topics of personal connection to climate change and the digital afterlife. Her work not only honours the enduring power of memory but also showcases the potential benefits and drawbacks of various artificial intelligence tools to preserve and transform our personal histories.

This exhibition is a must-see for those interested in the intersections of art, technology, and the environment, offering a poignant reflection on the future of our planet and the boundless possibilities of human-AI collaboration.

POP LIFE at City Art Centre

This November, art enthusiasts and pop culture aficionados are invited to immerse themselves in POP LIFE, an exhibition that explores the intersection of popular culture and contemporary figurative drawing, challenging traditional distinctions between high and low art.

Opening on Saturday, 2 November, POP LIFE features works by 13 Scottish and international artists, many of whom will be exhibiting in Scotland for the first time. Each artist uniquely engages with popular culture, referencing diverse influences such as music, film, fashion, literature, social media, and celebrities.

The exhibition highlights this interplay, using familiar language to delve into themes that expand traditional drawing practices.

Co-curated by artists Euan Gray and Witte Wartena, POP LIFE is a travelling exhibition previously showcased in Sweden (2022-23) and the Netherlands (2023). This iteration has been tailored to include Scottish artists and underscores the enduring allure of the human form as a reflection of identity and societal norms, drawing inspiration from art history, socio-political movements, and cultural shifts over the past six decades.

Visitors can look forward to works by renowned and early-career artists including Marcel van EedenEuan GrayPaul McDevittCharlotte Schleiffert, Sandra Vásquez de la HorraWitte WartenaDavid ShrigleyAndrew Cranston, Laura BruceMarc Brandenburg, Donald UrquhartJamie Fitzpatrick, and Fiona Michie—all of whom draw inspiration from the imagery and messages of pop culture.

Over 80 works will be presented, with several new pieces created specifically for this exhibition.

Marc Brandenburg has transformed a room of the gallery with UV light, to explore unseen sides of Tiergarten Park in Berlin, whilst Laura Bruce accompanies her drawn tributes to country music icons with vocal renditions of their biggest hits. Edinburgh-based artist Jamie Fitzpatrick is showing his large-scale drawings alongside a new monumental sculpture, looking critically and who in society is publicly memorialised. Internationally renowned artist David Shrigley will present 16 brand new drawings, showcasing his absurd and humorous work.

Culture and Communities Convener, Val Walker said: “I’m delighted that the City Art Centre can showcase this fantastic iteration of the POP LIFE exhibition featuring the works of 13 exciting artists.

“I’m especially proud that it will mark the first time some of these artists have displayed in Scotland, and that we will be presenting works created especially for the exhibition.

“I’m sure visitors will be captivated by these pieces and engage with the ever-changing dynamics of art within society.

Curator Euan Gray, said: “In an era dominated by computer generated images, AI and 3D printing, this exhibition offers us a wonderful opportunity to champion the enduring appeal of traditional drawing, wholeheartedly embrace the language of pop culture and promote a remarkable group of Scottish and international artists for whom the human form remains an essential motif.

National Galleries of Scotland acquire two paintings by trailblazing artist Everlyn Nicodemus

Prepare to be inspired at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One, as Everlyn Nicodemus opens her first retrospective this Saturday

Spanning the gallery’s entire ground floor, Everlyn Nicodemus opens on 19 October 2024 until 25 May 2025, and is free for everyone to enjoy.

Experience Everlyn’s joyful, defiant and searingly honest artworks, with over 80 drawings, collages, paintings and textiles from over 40 years of her career, from 1980 through to the present day.

Following a 25-year break from the medium of painting, Everlyn Nicodemus will unveil a series of new artworks created especially for the exhibition. 

To mark the opening of the exhibition, the National Galleries of Scotland has announced the acquisition of two powerful works by Everlyn Nicodemus. The Wedding 45 (1991) is from Everlyn’s largest body of work – an intricate and symbolic group of over 80 paintings produced in the 1990s.

The series was created during her recovery from a mental health breakdown, which the artist now understands to be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder, diagnosed some years later. The Wedding 45represents a resilient return to life, in all its beauty, difficulty and complexity. The faceless female body has returned to a position of strength and empowerment, with an equal relationship to the world around her.  

A second work, Eva(1981) has also been gifted to Scotland’s national collection by Everlyn Nicodemus and Richard Saltoun Gallery, ensuring the artist’s legacy will continue long after the exhibition has finished.

Painted when Everlyn was living in Stockholm, Evadepicts the Old Testament figure of Eve (Eva in Swedish), pregnant and standing on a large red apple, with a bite taken out of it.

Her pregnancy and the apple both indicate that this work depicts her after Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden for consuming the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge.

The painting’s themes of pregnancy and birth, the Biblical focus on sin, and Eve’s victimisation are linked to the artist’s memories, from growing up in Tanzania, of the stigma that surrounded pregnancy outside of marriage.

As in many cultures, she recalls that young women were blamed for their unwanted early pregnancies, even when the result of rape. Eva is a painting that proudly declares the artist’s unwavering support for global reproductive rights.  

Championing a belief that creativity is a form of healing, Everlyn’s work engages with themes including the global oppression of women, the enduring impact of racism and the artist’s own personal trauma and recovery.

Visitors to Everlyn Nicodemus will marvel at her bold and courageous use of colour, form, light and shade, inviting them to explore and question their understanding of identity, belonging and faith.

This stirring exhibition was made possible because Everlyn was the recipient of the prestigious Freelands Award in 2022. Presented by Freelands Foundation, the annual prize is gifted in support of women artists underrepresented in their field.  

An artist, writer and curator, Everlyn Nicodemus was born in Marangu, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in 1954. Living and working across Europe since the mid-1970s, Everlyn has made Edinburgh her home for the last fifteen years.

Throughout her career, she has taken an active involvement in community life, using her gift of expression to highlight the shared oppression of women. Her pioneering scholarship on African modern art and trauma studies has also informed her practice.  

Since the 1980s, Everlyn has made paintings, collages and works on paper that explore violence against women, personal trauma and the isolation and dehumanisation of living within structural racism. 

Everlyn Nicodemus will chart her career from those early days, with works including her very first painting, After the Birth (1980). At over two metres in length, this oil on bark cloth painting shows a large-scale image of a mother and child, brought to life through swirling black and white lines against a rich terracotta background.

The mother figure is seen protectively placed over the child; however, her face is covered by her hands, her body hunched in a state of recovery. This scene evokes deep emotions such as uncertainty and isolation; the often-unspoken elements of motherhood. Even in her earliest work, Everlyn’s skill as a visual storyteller is clear, compassionately highlighting women’s shared experiences and struggles. 

From her earliest work to the newest, the exciting debut of Everlyn’s new series Lazarus Jacaranda (2022–24) will form a key element of this exhibition, signifying an end to the artist’s 25-year hiatus from painting.

Pic Neil Hanna 07702 246823

While not directly referencing the biblical character in the series’ title, the paintings consider themes of cyclical life and Everlyn’s belief that ‘art is resurrection’. Female figures, both archetypes and named individuals, are shown in relaxed and restful poses, their feet supported by flowers and petals that spring powerfully to life.

These paintings have much in common with Everlyn’s earlier artworks, from the colour palette and confident celebration of the female body seen in Silent Strength (1989–90), to the botanical elements present in The Wedding (1990–94). This marks a resurrection of Everlyn’s own work from the past, influencing her present practice.  

This long overdue retrospective focussing on the life and work of Everlyn Nicodemus is a celebration of the compassion, creativity and care which she has led with throughout her 40 years as an artist. Everlyn Nicodemus is waiting to be discovered by new audiences at Modern One this winter. 

Everlyn Nicodemus said: “This exhibition feels like the most important moment in my career, spanning over 40 years of my work. It’s especially meaningful to me that it’s happening here in Edinburgh, a place that truly feels like my home. Having lived as a nomad all my life, this is the first place where I’ve been able to live and create in one space that is both my home and my studio. 

“It’s a rare and unique experience for any artist, and especially for a Black African woman artist, to witness a retrospective of their own, and of this scale, so I feel incredibly lucky. This exhibition is a journey through my whole artistic life, and I hope it resonates deeply with those who experience it.” 

Pic Neil Hanna 07702 246823

Anne Lyden, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: It is a great privilege to host the first ever retrospective of visionary artist Everlyn Nicodemus at Modern One this year.

“Everlyn’s exceptional artwork harnesses her incredible ability to communicate the most complex subjects with unwavering compassion. Her work serves to empower and inspire, but also sensitively demonstrates the therapeutic and healing powers of creativity.  

“This exhibition also marks Everlyn’s return to painting after a 25-year break with the unveiling of a new series of work which we are excited to share with our audiences for the first time. We are thrilled to bring this exhibition to the people of Scotland and celebrate Everlyn’s remarkable career in the city she calls home.” 

Pic Neil Hanna 07702 246823

Stephanie Straine, Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Galleries of Scotland said:“We’re so excited that Everlyn’s exhibition has opened here in Edinburgh, allowing visitors to encounter Everlyn’s astonishing creative practice of many decades.

“I feel truly honoured to have had the opportunity to work closely with the artist over the past three years to develop her exhibition and its accompanying publication.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of this incredibly rewarding collaborative process that has time and again emphasised Everlyn’s rigorous scholarship, commitment to and celebration of art making, and deeply empathetic perspective on the complexities of our shared humanity.”  

Pic Neil Hanna 07702 246823

Visitors to Everlyn Nicodemus can enjoy a free audio tour as part of their experience. Led by Everlyn herself, listeners will be guided around the exhibition as she highlights selected works and delves deeper into her inspirations, experiences and creative process. 

Everlyn Nicodemus is accompanied by a generously illustrated catalogue, featuring a new interview with the artist by Perrin Lathrop (Assistant Curator of African Art at Princeton University Art Museum).

The book also includes essays from Professor Eddie Chambers (David Bruton, Jr. Centennial Professorship in Art History at the University of Texas at Austin), Catherine de Zegher (curator, modern and contemporary art historian), and Stephanie Straine (curator of the exhibition at the National Galleries of Scotland). 

Everlyn Nicodemus is yours to discover for free at National Galleries Scotland: Modern One from Saturday 19 October 2024. Find out more Everlyn Nicodemus | National Galleries of Scotland. An adaptation of the exhibition will be presented at WIELS, Brussels in autumn 2025. 

Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine exhibition

National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
25 January – 27 April 2025
Free admission

An exhibition telling the story of the global effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine will open at the National Museum of Scotland in January.

Injecting Hope: The Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine explores the scientific principles and adaptation of innovative research behind this extraordinary endeavour. It looks at the UK-wide, behind-the-scenes work that accompanied the vaccines’ rapid development, production, transport and delivery and examines the sheer logistical challenges behind the worldwide rollout.

Revealing the inspiring stories of scientists and innovators collaborating around the globe to find solutions and save lives, the exhibition will show how these people have shaped the world we live in today. 

Showcasing more than 100 objects and stories that were collected during the peak of the pandemic, it features artworks, interactives, and personal objects examining everything from the virus itself to the work done behind the scenes by volunteers and researchers to make huge innovations possible.

Highlights include the vial of the first COVID-19 vaccine to be administered worldwide, notebooks used by June Almeida, the Scottish scientist who discovered coronavirus in 1966 and artworks interpreting the story of the pandemic by artists including Luke Jerram, Angela Palmer and Junko Mori.

New content created for the exhibition’s Scottish run will explore some of the uniquely Scottish experiences of the pandemic.

Sophie Goggins, Senior Curator of Biomedical Science at National Museums Scotland said: “The development and rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in record time is one of the greatest collaborative human achievements in recent memory.

“This exhibition tells the story of just how this extraordinary feat came to be; from the scientific breakthroughs which led to the creation of the vaccine to the countless individuals who helped to roll it out around the globe.”

Injecting Hope is presented by the Science Museum Group (SMG). It comes to the National Museum of Scotland as part of a national and international tour following its inaugural run at the Science Museum in London.

It forms part of a project with the National Council of Science Museums in India and the Guangdong Science Center in China, which, alongside the Science Museum, opened exhibitions in November 2022.

Injecting Hope builds on the work SMG has undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its COVID-19 collecting project, hosting NHS vaccination centres within its museums and public engagement events and materials.  

The Injecting Hope project, including the international tour and UK national tour, has been generously supported by Wellcome. The Huo Family Foundation is kindly supporting the national tour of the exhibition.

Alternative Futures – Who Decides?

Ripple Project Community Exhibition

The Binks Hub and the Ripple Project are delighted to invite you to an exhibition of co-created art that challenges the status quo and offers an alternative view of what communities need to flourish.

Exhibiting in partnership with Dovecot Studios, the world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh, “Alternative Futures – Who Decides” is the result of a collaboration between The Binks Hub, University of Edinburgh and The Ripple Project, a grassroots, community led charity using creativity and the arts to co-create community-driven research that makes a difference to people’s lives.

The exhibition will be open:

Thursday 3rd October

Friday 4th October

Saturday 5th October

And is free to attend, to check out times and secure your place please register through the Eventbrite link.

You can also drop in on any day where there will be workshops and opportunities to chat to those involved in the project.

We hope you can join us to begin conversations about how we change the way we view our communities and what we can do together to make a lasting difference.

You may also reply to this email: tristan.green@theripple.org.uk and further details will then be sent to you.

AdvoCard Celebrates 30 Years of Advocacy with Milestone Exhibtion and Community Events

Independent advocacy charity, AdvoCard, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special exhibition and a series of events highlighting its work and its impact from 1994 to 2024.

The exhibition will be held at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall from Tuesday 8th to Saturday 12th October 2024, running from 10 a.m. daily (end times may vary).

30 Years of Advocacy

The journey of AdvoCard began in the early 1990s when a steering group formed to explore the need for independent advocacy services in Edinburgh.

By 1994, with funding from Edinburgh City Council, the organisation was officially established, led by a small team of three part-time staff, including founding member Karen Anderson, and a small group of dedicated volunteers.

By 2001 they had moved to their first office in Leith and began expanding their service into the South East Locality of Edinburgh, becoming city wide in 2003. 

In 2009, they expanded again, opening a second site at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital to complement the original office in Leith and have continued to grow to meet the increasing demand for services. 

 Today, AdvoCard operates from two main offices: the Duncan Place Community Hub in Leith and the Andrew Duncan Clinic at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Morningside with a team of 20 staff and 18 volunteers.

Over the years, they have expanded their original remit to include advocacy for people with problematic substance use, outreach services, a welfare and benefits advocacy worker, prison advocacy and a volunteer team who support people navigating complex challenges related to health and social care, medical treatments, and decision-making processes.

Independent Advocacy focuses on ensuring that people can have their voices heard in decisions impacting their health and well-being, providing an essential service to those often left unheard. In todays current climate of reduced funding for health and social care services, AdvoCard are playing an increasingly vital role in helping individuals understand and assert their rights. 

Celebrating 30 Years with Community Events

AdvoCard’s 30th anniversary will be marked with an exhibition at the Out of the Blue Drill Hall from 8th to 12th October. This exhibition will showcase the organisation’s history, its evolution, and its impact on the community over three decades. Visitors will have the opportunity to engage with staff and volunteers, learning more about the vital role independent advocacy plays in empowering individuals.

AdvoCard workers will also be celebrating with a special event on Thursday 3rd October from 3pm at its former offices on 322 Leith Walk (now home to the Indigo Hair and Beauty Salon), where the salon has generously donated eight free treatments for AdvoCard’s staff and its volunteers. 

AdvoCard invites the media and the public to join in these celebrations, meet the team, and learn more about the crucial services they provide.

Karen Anderson, founding member of AdvoCard and current board member, reflects on the organisation’s milestone: “That AdvoCard has grown and developed so much over the years is a testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of the many staff, volunteers and  board members who have been involved over the years.”

Advocacy partners (service users) have shared how AdvoCard has positively impacted their lives:

– “AdvoCard took the time to listen to me, which helped me regain my confidence and self-esteem. They couldn’t change my issues, but they empowered me to face them.”  

– “My advocacy worker has been amazing. I feel that I’m taken more seriously now and am regaining power I felt I had lost.”

– “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of AdvoCard.”

Volunteers also speak about the significance of independent advocacy:

– “It’s important to help people voice their opinions when they are struggling. I want to make sure they are heard while maintaining their agency.” 

– “Making a difference by challenging unfair systems is incredibly rewarding.”  

– “Helping someone resolve issues affecting their daily lives is why I volunteer.”

City Art Centre exhibition – ‘Inked Up: Printmaking in Scotland’

This autumn, Edinburgh’s City Art Centre opens a captivating new exhibition exploring Scottish printmaking.

Inked Up: Printmaking in Scotland presents a fascinating selection of historic and contemporary prints from the City Art Centre’s renowned collection of Scottish art.

Over 30 different artists feature in the exhibition, including: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Muirhead Bone, D.Y. Cameron, Victoria Crowe, Anupa Gardner, Jane Hyslop, Walter Geikie, Leena Nammari, Eduardo Paolozzi, Anne Redpath, Willie Rodger, Mabel Royds, Paul Sandby and William Wilson.

Printmaking is one of the most richly diverse areas of the visual arts. For centuries, artists have employed different printmaking techniques and processes to create a variety of effects – experimenting with line, tone, texture and colour. The results range from highly detailed topographical images to vibrant abstract compositions, and from atmospheric impressions to quirky characterisations. In Scotland, this has long been recognised and embraced, with Scottish printmakers offering valuable contributions to the discipline.

Inked Up: Printmaking in Scotland celebrates this versatile, ever evolving artform. The exhibition showcases examples of relief printing, intaglio printing, lithography and screenprinting, dating from the 18th century to present day.

Among the highlights are a unique woodcut print of Edinburgh Castle by Mabel Royds, an enormous linocut map of Midlothian by Jane Hyslop, and a vivid screenprint by Wilhemina Barns-Graham, produced when she was in her 80s.

Many of the artworks are new additions to the collection are on display at the City Art Centre for the very first time. These include compositions by Eduardo Paolozzi, Ian Fleming and James Munro, as well as a group of prints by Willie Rodger, donated in 2023 by the Willie Rodger Art Trust.

Culture and Communities Convener, Cllr Val Walker said: It’s always such a delight to see a selection of works from the City Art Centre’s permanent collection of fine art being presented for residents and visitors alike to enjoy and connect with. 

“The Inked Up: Printmaking in Scotland exhibition celebrates this versatile and ever evolving artform and is a fantastic opportunity to see over 30 different artist’s work. The extensive collection of work is a mix of existing and new additions to the collection, on display for the very first time.

“I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to visit our City Art Centre and explore and reflect on the variety of artwork and experience the diversity of printmaking in Scotland.”

Edinburgh City Art Centre Curator, Dr Helen Scott said: “Printmaking is such a dynamic artform – it covers an incredibly varied range of techniques and can be used by artists in so many different ways.

“There are minutely detailed landscape views by 18th century artists like Paul Sandby and Thomas Donaldson, and then there are the evocative etchings of Muirhead Bone and D.Y. Cameron in the early 20th century, with their deep contrasts of light and shadow. 

“The exhibition includes pieces by post-war printmaking innovators such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Philip Reeves. And there’s also a good selection of recent works by contemporary printmakers like Leena Nammari, Bronwen Sleigh and Adrian Wiszniewski. 

“I’m really looking forward to sharing this exhibition with visitors – revealing the creative scope of printmaking and unpicking some of the practical techniques behind the artworks.”

Admission to the exhibition is free (donations are of course most welcome to enable free access for all!) and opens on Saturday 14 September 2024 and continues until 1 June 2025.

Walking Like a Tortoise Granton exhibition at Central Library

Walking like a Tortoise, a mixed media, walking art exhibition

Edinburgh Central Library, 7 – 9 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EG. Foyer and Display Case on Main Stairs

1 August – 30 September (10am – 8pm Monday to Wednesday; 10am – 5pm Thursday to Saturday)

‘Walking like a Tortoise’ is a range of art work based on a series of walks around Granton on the northern edge of Scotland’s capital city. Using maps of the area from 1870 to the present day, Tamsin Grainger skirted the urban and coastal landscapes of Granton, looking into hidden corners, seeing from unlikely angles and meeting those who live and work there.

Through photography, words, video, textiles and found materials, she asks how the act of slow walking can develop a sense of belonging somewhere, and how mindful noticing of the area on foot, promotes appreciation of and connection to what is home.

Tamsin’s been walking around Granton for 14 years now, alone and with other members of the community, and has become interested in the alterations that people and the climate have wrought.

Although places transform all the time, the built-up environment and natural spaces of Granton have recently been changing at an exceptionally rapid pace and still are: the harbour is now a no-go area; streets and stations have been given new names and functions; and views have disappeared.

Slowly wandering the boundary and making artwork has stimulated a deeper understanding of local history and heritage, but how much of this will soon have vanished?

Is Granton disappearing and being replaced by the Edinburgh Waterfront?

By visiting the exhibition, you are invited to consider: ‘What are the invisible boundaries which define us?’ ‘What happens if the exact edges of our living space change? Is it important to you that things stay the same or do you welcome transformation?’ ‘Do you feel part of the decision-making processes which precipitate such changes?’ and, ‘Is there a link between a sense of who you are and feeling that you belong somewhere?’

Tamsin Grainger is a walking artist who has lived in Granton for 15 years and has extensive experience in the Community Arts in Edinburgh. She was Dance Artist in Residence for the City of Edinburgh, and is currently the Granton Waterfront Heritage Programme Development Worker. This exhibition was first shown at the Granton:hub in 2023.

Walking Like a Tortoise: Granton exhibition at Central Library

Walking like a Tortoise, a mixed media, walking art exhibition

Edinburgh Central Library, 7 – 9 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EG. Foyer and Display Case on Main Stairs

1 August – 30 September

(10am – 8pm Monday to Wednesday; 10am – 5pm Thursday to Saturday)

Walking like a Tortoise’ is a range of art work based on a series of walks around Granton on the northern edge of Scotland’s capital city.

Using maps of the area from 1870 to the present day, Tamsin Grainger skirted the urban and coastal landscapes of Granton, looking into hidden corners, seeing from unlikely angles and meeting those who live and work there.

Through photography, words, video, textiles and found materials, she asks how the act of slow walking can develop a sense of belonging somewhere, and how mindful noticing of the area on foot, promotes appreciation of and connection to what is home.

Tamsin’s been walking around Granton for 14 years now, alone and with other members of the community, and has become interested in the alterations that people and the climate have wrought.

Although places transform all the time, the built-up environment and natural spaces of Granton have recently been changing at an exceptionally rapid pace and still are: the harbour is now a no-go area; streets and stations have been given new names and functions; and views have disappeared.

Slowly wandering the boundary and making artwork has stimulated a deeper understanding of local history and heritage, but how much of this will soon have vanished? Is Granton disappearing and being replaced by the Edinburgh Waterfront?

By visiting the exhibition, you are invited to consider: ‘What are the invisible boundaries which define us?’ ‘What happens if the exact edges of our living space change? Is it important to you that things stay the same or do you welcome transformation?’ ‘Do you feel part of the decision-making processes which precipitate such changes?’ and, ‘Is there a link between a sense of who you are and feeling that you belong somewhere?’

Tamsin Grainger is a walking artist who has lived in Granton for 15 years and has extensive experience in the Community Arts in Edinburgh.

She was Dance Artist in Residence for the City of Edinburgh, and is currently the Granton Waterfront Heritage Programme Development Worker.

This exhibition was first shown at the Granton:hub in 2023.