The Fruitmarket Gallery is a

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic ...

gallery in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, Scotland. Since its opening in 1974, the gallery has become part of the Scottish contemporary art scene. After a period of closure to undergo a significant renovation, the gallery reopened in 2021 with expanded exhibition space and facilities.

History

The gallery, which opened in 1974, is located in a building which was originally built as a fruit and vegetable market in 1938. In 1994, the building was renovated by Richard Murphy Architects. It has a café and a bookshop. Scotsman Steps (5901052246)

In 2011 the gallery was involved in commissioning The Scotsman Steps. These 104 steps which link

Waverley Station Edinburgh Waverley railway station (also known simply as Waverley; gd, Waverley Dhùn Èideann) is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. It is the north ...

to North Bridge were opened in 1899. They were redesigned by artist

Martin Creed Martin Creed (born 21 October 1968) is a British artist, composer and performer. He won the Turner Prize in 2001 for exhibitions during the preceding year, with the jury praising his audacity for exhibiting a single installation, ''Work No. 22 ...

(as ''Work No. 1059'') to incorporate a different type of marble for each step in 2011. Also in 2011, the gallery was selected to curate the Scottish pavilion at that year's

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

. In 2018 the gallery announced that it was to close temporarily for a £4.3 million refurbishment project. Designed by Edinburgh-based Reiach and Hall, the revamp included overhauling the existing gallery spaces, as well creating a new exhibition space in a nearby former fruit and vegetable warehouse (later the Electric Circus nightclub), effectively doubling the footprint of the gallery. The refurbishment also created a new space dedicated to classes and workshops, while the existing bookshop and cafe were expanded. Several artists have been prominent supporters of the project, even as the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

put building on hold and pushed up costs:

donated the proceeds of a neon work that sold for more than £50,000;

Callum Innes Callum Innes (born 1962) is a Scottish abstract painter, a former Turner Prize nominee and winner of the Jerwood Painting Prize. He lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland. Early life and education Callum Innes was born in Edinburgh. He studied ...

helped choose the project architect; and

Tania Kovats Tania Kovats (born 1966) is an English visual artist, best known for her sculpture, installation art and drawing. A key theme of Kovats' work is how art can communicate our relationship with nature and she is an advocate for the importance of d ...

designed a £15,000 ceramic drinking fountain for the building, intended for visitors to fill up their water bottles. The gallery reopened in July 2021 with an exhibition by sculptor

Karla Black Karla Black (born 1972) is a Scottish sculptor who creates abstract three-dimensional artworks that explore the physicality of materials as a way of understanding and communicating the world around us. In 2011, Black was nominated for the Turne ...

Exhibitions

Exhibitions have included international artists such as

Janet Cardiff Janet Cardiff (born March 15, 1957) is a Canadian artist who works chiefly with sound and sound installations, often in collaboration with her husband and partner George Bures Miller. Cardiff first gained international recognition in the art worl ...

and

George Bures Miller George Bures Miller (born 1960) is a Canadian artist noted for his collaborative works with his wife Janet Cardiff. Miller and Cardiff represented Canada at the 2001 Venice Biennale. They are based in British Columbia, Canada. Solo works Works ...

Trenton Doyle Hancock Trenton Doyle Hancock (born 1974) is an American artist working with Printmaking, prints, drawings, and collaged-felt paintings. Through his work, Hancock mainly aims to tell the story of the Mounds, mystical creatures that are part of the artist ...

Cai Guo-Qiang Cai Guo-Qiang (; born 8 December 1957) is a Chinese artist who currently lives and works in New York City and New Jersey. Biography Cai Guo-Qiang was born in 1957 in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, China. His father, Cai Ruiqin, was a calligraph ...

, Alex Hartley and

Roman Signer Roman Signer (born 1938 in Appenzell, Switzerland) is principally a visual artist who works in sculpture, art installations photography, and video. Early life and career Born in Appenzell, Switzerland, Signer started his career as an artist later i ...

, as well as Scottish artists

Christine Borland Christine Borland (born 1965) is a Scottish artist. Born in Darvel, Ayrshire, Scotland, Borland is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) and was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1997 (won by Gillian Wearing) for her work ''From Life'' at Tr ...

Nathan Coley Nathan Coley (born 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland, where he currently lives and works) is a contemporary British artist who was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2007 and has held both solo and group exhibitions internationally, as well as his wo ...

Louise Hopkins Louise Hopkins (born 1965) is a British contemporary artist and painter who lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. Biography Hopkins was born in Hertfordshire, England and completed the Foundations Studies course at Brighton Polytechnic from ...

Lucy Skaer Lucy Skaer (born 1975) is a contemporary English artist who works with sculpture, film, painting, and drawing. Her work has been exhibited internationally. Skaer is a member of the Henry VIII’s Wives artist collective, and has exhibited a number ...

and Emma Hart. Exhibitions are accompanied by lectures and other events.

Management

The gallery operates on a mix of public funding and donor support. Entrance is free, and the gallery claimed 200,000 visitors in 2018.Tim Cornwell (July 6, 2021)
Edinburgh's Fruitmarket gallery reopens with new double-height performance space
''

The Art Newspaper ''The Art Newspaper'' is a monthly print publication, with daily updates online, founded in 1990 and based in London and New York City. It covers news of the visual arts as they are affected by international politics and economics, developments ...

''.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Edinburgh Contemporary art galleries in Scotland 1974 establishments in Scotland Companies based in Edinburgh Charities based in Scotland Art galleries established in 1974 Modern art museums