GENERATION: OPEN DIALOGUES

Projects and Finlay Room, RSA Lower Galleries

Free entry

Click here for a 360° panorama of the show.

GENERATION is the largest, most ambitious survey of contemporary art ever held in Scotland. It aims to highlight the legacy of the last 25 years of contemporary art in Scotland with approximately 50 venues participating across Scotland, showcasing the work of over 100 artists. In an interesting twist, the RSA - the oldest participating organisation - will be exhibiting the artists with youngest careers, by highlighting one artist from each of our six New Contemporaries exhibitions. The chosen artists from 2009-2014 are: Stuart McAdam, Ernesto Cánovas, Geri Loup Nolan, Eva Ullrich, Ade Adesina and Jonny Lyons. 

Click here to visit Open Dialogues on the GENERATION website

Some of the top artists now exhibiting regularly in Scotland - and a few of those running art spaces around the country - showed for the first time at RSA New Contemporaries after newly graduating. - Andrew Cattanach, The Skinny, March 2012

In 2008, radical steps were taken to overhaul the former RSA Student Exhibition, replacing it with RSA New Contemporaries. The previous incarnation had enabled students in the final and post-graduate years to submit one work to the show. The galleries were full and the interest was wide but there was little prolonged engagement with the artists and the single works were shown out of context from their studio practice.

In developing the exhibition, the RSA began to select a smaller number of the more interesting artists directly from their end-of-year degree shows, inviting them to make new works for the RSA Galleries in the following Spring. In this we sought to 1) offer opportunity for a body of work to be shown rather than one work in isolation; 2) develop a continuing long-term relationship with 60 graduates annually; 3) develop stronger collaborative links with the Art Schools and Schools of Architecture in Scotland, 4) produce a world-class, year-on-year account of the best of Scottish graduates in one roof and in an annual publication. As it stands, the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition has been one of the key events in the exhibition calendar and is attended by curators, gallerists, collectors and visitors from across Europe. At time of writing we have an 'alumni' of some 360 artists who have been represented over the past six years and we will be heading for 420 by the time the 2014 degrees shows are over.

For Open Dialogues, we have invited one artist from each of the RSA New Contemporaries (2009 - 2014) to make new work for this GENERATION project. The artists have been selected for their impact upon contemporary practice, their proven track record since RSA New Contemporaries and, of course, the excellence of the work.

The exhibition will be curated, and presented by The Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture with additional support from Creative Scotland.

Stuart McAdam (RSA New Contemporaries in 2009) graduated with a BA (Hons) Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in 2008. He lives and works in Glasgow. His presentation includes new works which are part of his ongoing interventions and investigations into lines and borders in the landscape.

Ernesto Cánovas  (RSA New Contemporaries 2010) graduated with a BA (Hons) in Drawing & Painting from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009 and exhibited in He went on to achieve an MFA from Slade School of Art in 2011. He lives and works in London. Using layered images and varnishes, Ernesto's presentation includes a three meter wide triptych painting.

Geri Loup Nolan  (RSA New Contemporaries 2011) graduated with a BA (Hons) in Painting from Edinburgh College of Art in 2010. She lives and works in Edinburgh. A recent residency at Cill Rialaig, Co Kerry provides a rich source for new work and her presentation includes film and two new large-scale wall works.

Eva Ullrich  (RSA New Contemporaries 2012) graduated with a BA (Hons) in Painting and Printmaking from The Glasgow School of Art in 2011. She lives and works in the Lake District. Eva exhibits new large-scale canvas paintings.

Ade Adesina  (RSA New Contemporaries 2013) graduated with a BA (Hons) in Printmaking from Grays School of Art in 2012. He lives and works in Aberdeen. Concerned with the environment and climate change Ade exhibits sculptures and linocuts which the planet and its natural habitat and resources.

Jonny Lyons  (RSA New Contemporaries 2014) graduated with a BA (Hons) Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in 2013. He lives and works in Glasgow. He uses photographs and sculpture to capture his adventurous performances.

Click the links below to see interviews with the artists selected for Open Dialogues
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3