Welcome to the 200th Annual Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy.

Our Annual Exhibition has been at the heart of the Royal Scottish Academy since its founding in 1826 when 11 painters, one architect and one sculptor came together to form an organisation that would support artists in Scotland. The first founding aim of the Academy was to present an annual exhibition open to all artists of merit. The very first exhibition was held in rented room at 24 Waterloo Place in 1827. The exhibition has continued every year ever since, capturing art and architecture at a moment in time over each of the last 200 years, reflecting the world as it has changed with the Industrial Revolution, two world wars, huge advances in medicine, science, and the birth of the internet. With its origin shortly after the emergence of the Scottish Enlightenment, the Academy put appreciation of and education in the visual arts at the core of its purpose and continues to support contemporary practice today.  

Available to view both entirely online and in the magnificent surroundings of these William Playfair-designed galleries, the Annual Exhibition is the best opportunity to view and purchase across the entire spectrum of contemporary art and architecture in Scotland. This year’s Annual Exhibition has been led by Art Convenor, Annie Cattrell RSA, and Architecture Convenor, Fergus Purdie RSA. Annie Cattrell’s theme, In Time, reflects on our philosophical and physical foundations. Fergus Purdie is reflecting on two distinct themes: Beginning(s) and Unbuilt. The RSA Open Exhibitions of Art and Architecture figure centrally in the exhibition. The Open element brings a diverse range of works selected from online submissions by artists and architects at all stages of their careers.