Elephant’s Lisette May Monroe returns with a bumper guide to Edinburgh Art Festival 2024.
Hey babes, guess who’s back? After lovingly guiding you by the hand through the Venice Biennale and Glasgow International, I am now here to take you through the ups and downs of Edinburgh Art Festival 2024. To be clear, when I say “ups and downs”, I’m talking about the landscape of the city centre – we are talking hills and many flights of stairs, so get your supportive (but stylish, keep up the look) shoes on.
Being in Edinburgh during what is known as ‘Festival Season’ – or, as it’s more commonly known, August – is not for the fainthearted. With the Art Festival, The Fringe (the comedy festival), the Film Festival, the Book Festival and the International Festival all happening simultaneously, there really is something for everyone – which in turn means EVERYONE is there. The chic, the less chic, the artists, the writers, the vapers, the smokers, the hen-dos, the overly efficient planners that have an Excel schedule, the people that only go out once a year (meaning that, when they do, they like to heckle comedians). It’s a melange, and I’m here for it.
I will caveat everything I will say by saying: BOOK, BOOK, BOOK. If you are a fun-loving, easy-breezy girl like me, this really will go against every fibre of your being. Unfortunately, though, you will need to plan every aspect of your August in Edinburgh. Sorry. When you see the broken-hearted chancers walking around aimlessly, having missed out, their hopes dashed, you will understand why. It’s summer, and it’s really not the season to be gutted.
Accommodation is expensive (yes, even more so than usual). Some people opt to stay in Glasgow and then get to enjoy being in a packed standing-room-only train for 45 minutes every night with other culturally overstimulated festival goers. The train will also most likely either be cancelled or stop mid-service, adding a nice edgy element to the start and end of the day. It will, however, save you A LOT of cash.
Edinburgh Art Festival will be our focus as that’s my main area of expertise (feels weird to think of myself as an expert in anything, but here we are). This year sees the 20th Anniversary of the festival and the second under the supervision of director Kim McAleese and curator Eleanor Edmondson. The festival’s focus is on ‘the people and movements who inspire change, who resist inequity, isolation, destruction, and despair’ and features festival commissions alongside exhibitions at partner venues.
One of the festival sites, the City Art Centre, is situated directly opposite Waverley train station (super handy for all usvisitors) and houses three of the commissioned exhibitions. On the ground floor is – errrrrrrrm – me, alongside my Rosie’s Disobedient Press collaborator Adrien Howard and our dear friend Mitchell F. Gillies. It feels conflicting to include my own show, but also that’s where it is, so it’s more of a fact than a recommendation! On the third floor, there is a new film commission by Renèe Helèna Browne: Sanctus!. This film follows on from their previous work (Daddy’s Boy), exploring devotion in relation to portraiture and faith and their relationship with their mother, all framed by rally car culture (something woven through their family life). Also on this floor is Karol Radziszewski’s Filo. A co-commission between the festival and London gallery Auto Italia, this exhibition uses rare photographs to trace the history of Filo magazine. Founded by activist Ryszard Kisiel, this was one of the first underground queer magazines in Eastern Europe. Radziszewski will be presenting paintings alongside the archive of queer central Eastern European political figures. If the politics of archiving and sustaining alternative histories is up there in your areas of interest (it is in mine), then this is one not to miss.
Also in the City Art Centre is the EAF Platform programme. This section platforms early career artists selected by open call, and is always a really good way to see work from emerging practitioners based in Scotland. This year’s cohort, including Alaya Ang, Edward Gwyn Jones, Kialy Tihngang, and Tamara MacArthur, all respond to the festival’s core themes. All of the artists have been showing very interesting work over the past year and to see them given this platform ensures that this will be a true festival highlight. Keep an eye out in particular for Tamara MacArthur, whose lush installations have been enticing audiences in Glasgow and London; as intimate as they are poignant, they explore longing like no one else!
The City Art Centre is also home to the festival welcome hub, where you can find all the information about the programme and partner exhibitions – so grab a map and get on your little way.
For our next venue you won’t have to go that far – just cross the road to Edinburgh mainstay, the Fruitmarket Gallery. For the festival, they are presenting Ibrahim Mahama’s Songs about Roses. This work, made in response to Fruitmarket’s location above Waverley train station, takes the railway as a starting point for large-scale drawings and installations, folding in Mahama’s interest in Ghana’s now obsolete colonial-era railway.
While you’re in Fruitmarket, make sure you take some time to engage with the bookshop (you pass through it to get to the exhibition). It’s a well-curated space with a mix of current theory and publications relating to themes within the exhibition programme.
Next, another short hop (but also our first engagement with a hill), to Stills Centre for Photography. Stills’ last two festival exhibitions stood out as highlights, and this year’s exhibition – Home: Ukrainian Photography, UK Words – is equally important. This is part of a touring programme partnership with Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, and is a group show with artists Igor Chekachkov, Alexander Chekmenev, Nazar Furyk, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Polina Polikarpova, Andriy Rachinskiy, Elena Subach and Daria Svertilova, all of whom explore the meaning of the word “home”. At the time of writing, the concept of “home” continues to be destroyed by politicians the world over’s lack of response to genocide and war; this exhibition shows what is lost and, crucially, what needs to be held onto in order for a sense of home (and, in turn, an essential sense of safety) to prevail.
That’s a lot of art already, so don’t worry about tackling the rest of the hill straight away. You can take solace in a coffee shop (The Milkman) a couple of doors down, grab a window seat, and catch the Instagram girlies making their Edinburgh reels – it’s good content. Snax Cafe is also nearby, offering respite if you want a more tucked-away location.
During the short 10-minute walk to Dovecot Studios, you will hit your first experience of the merging of the festivals: expect to be street-performed out of your mind. Someone will definitely be jumping through a fire hoop on The Royal Mile, and (hopefully) the two young lads I saw last week doing nu-metal covers on the bagpipes will be soundtracking you as you get handed more flyers than you ever thought imaginable. Dovecot are showing Chris Ofili’s tapestry The Caged Bird’s Song, which was made in the studio. It’s an amazing work, and, if you’re lucky, the viewing gallery for the studio might be open, allowing you to look down on the weavers at work!
Mere minutes away is Talbot Rice, who have a huge survey of El Anatsui for this year’s festival. Scottish Mission Book Depot Keta reviews five decades of work. The exhibition also takes over the building’s facade. Make sure you give it a significant amount of time. It’s worth it!
After all this, food is truly essential, and you’re in a good position for it. Nearby Mosque Kitchen offers canteen-style eating with delicious curries. There are two great noodle options around here too, with Noodles and Dumplings (cash only, FYI) and Noodles Home both presenting great options. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, double back on yourself slightly and book a table at The Outsider – they offer a half price lunch menu and they have Bin End wines on offer. If you do choose that option, fold in a bit of tourism and catch the nearby Greyfriars Bobby statue. It’s a nice time of day to see a statue of a cute dog, and you can give his nose a pat for good fortune.
After some condensed time in the City Centre you might be ready for some kind of nature bathing, and who can blame you? There are only so many times you can watch a mime while standing outside a souvenir shop. If this is the case, head along to the lush Royal Botanical Gardens. Here, you’ll find another festival commission, this time from Más Arte Más Acción (MAMA) who present an intervention in the gardens. The work is a large table which surrounds a tree, creating a space to reflect on the relationship between humans and plants in times of rapid biodiversity loss.
If greenery is still calling then it’s time for Jupiter Artland, a vast sculpture garden which also has two summer exhibitions. This is a longer distance out but, once again, has a great pay-off. The Glasgow-based legend Laura Aldridge presents Lawnmower; working with textiles, ceramics and glass, this show pulls you into Aldridge’s sculptural landscape, and is one that you will find it hard to draw yourself away from. Also on-site is Andrew Sim’s exhibition of characterful paintings, two rainbows and a forest of plants and trees. Winged horses, suburban yuccas and bulging rainbows populate the show, which draws on the importance of queer relationships as a vital life source. If you are wanting to go to Jupiter I urge you to take the full day there – that way you can fully explore all the other works on site. Also, if you are organised (I told you), book in for a swim in the Joana Vasconcelos pool. It’s summer, you deserve it.
Back to the City Centre, and if you’re still going strong and you’ve managed to hold off from having lunch, get the bus from the Botanics (the number 27 – you’re welcome) to the Edinburgh Printmakers, where you’ll find a selection of solo shows. Ade Adesina’s INTERSECTION combines objects, places and scenes from British culture via screenprints, lithographs, relief printing and sculptural installations. Printmakers also have Stories of the Unseen by photographer Tayo Adekunles, who explores race, gender and sexuality through portraiture. Both are very much worth the journey. Food spots nearby all rather handily begin with “P”. The Palmerston (another fancy shout) has a lunch set menu, The Polworth Tavern has stunning sandwiches, and Pizza at Pizzeria 1926 is always vibes.
At this time of year, Edinburgh is bursting with events, and this feels like a good time to check in regarding what the Art Festival is offering in this area. On the opening weekend, Mele Broomes has been commissioned to create a performance that, through progressions of vocal callings, live melodies and choreographies, pays homage to a series of conversations facilitated by Mele and the living archive. As far as I can see this is sold out, but if you can find a waiting list I urge you to get on it. I have had the privilege of seeing a number of Broome’s performances and can guarantee that you will want to see it too.
On Sunday August 11th, the Opening Provocation opens with a discussion on creative modes of resistance with representatives from Cooper Gallery (DJCAD, University of Dundee), Beirut-based cultural feminist collective Haven for Artists, Kim McAleese, and Edinburgh’s oldest radical bookshop Lighthouse Books. Following this, there will be a presentation of film works from Palestinian art collective Falastin Film Festival and Haven for Artists. This event promises to really unpick the politics and potential modes of practise that the festival presents in its core themes.
Lastly in this category, the 16th of August sees another of the festival’s joint commissions, this time with The Roberts Institute of Art presenting the premiere of a new work, Alleus, by Prem Sahib. In a melding of pre-recorded and live voices, Alleus (‘Suella’ spelled backwards) re-orders and disrupts an anti-immigration speech by Suella Braverman. This will be performed in a location under Edinburgh Castle. There are still tickets, and you should absolutely get one! A quick tip nearby is another of Edinburgh’s most famous pubs, The Blue Blazer. I’ve lost some serious hours here, and it always offers a port in a storm.
If you’re a little arted-out at this point (and who could blame you), I can offer one slight digression from this otherwise art-only guide, which looks so great that it felt worth a shout. Typewronger and Lighthouse Books’ 2024 edition of their alternative BookFringe has an unbelievably packed lineup! With the likes of Nat Raha and Harry Josie Giles discussing political poetry, Hannah Procter exploring new work (Burnout: The Emotional Experience of Political Defeat) and readings from K. Patrick and Rachel Allen, there’s much to see and it is all stellar. Also it’s summer, a great time for books!
Returning to our scheduled programming, we move to the other side of the city. If you exit out of the other side of Waverley Station (who knew a train station would feature this much?), you can prepare yourself for yet another climb, this time up Calton Hill to Collective. Halfway up you might start cursing me, but trust me, before you’ve even gotten to the gallery, the views are well worth it. Also, if you need a more accessible option, a bus will take you halfway up, or a taxi will take you right to the door (they sometimes think they can’t but they CAN!). To celebrate their 40th year (so many birthdays!), Collective have invited back previous committee member Moyna Flannigan, whose show Space Shufflecentres women through collage and paper sculpture. The second show up there – and one that I am really excited about – is Kaya Fraser’s Give Us A Smile. This is the last of this year’s Satellites commissions, and Fraser has developed a two-channel installation which takes working-class homes as a site for archive.
Now you get to enjoy the downhill. Making your way towards Ingleby Gallery, you will pass Scotland’s first ever Itsu. This might not be a big deal for anyone but me; however, if you need a snack, it’s there for you. If you’re already in need of a pint, you can take a 10-minute detour to Edinburgh’s iconic gay bar, The Regent, who also have popcorn behind the bar! Ingleby have a solo show by LA-based painter Hailey Barker, The Ringing Stone, whose harmonious landscape paintings really sing within the gallery’s stunning space.
A steady half-hour walk or a quick hop on one of Edinburgh’s infamous trams (ask anyone that lives in Edinburgh about the tram situation and you can settle in for a real time) will take you to Rory Dixon’s new show at Sett Studios. Rory works with fashion and textiles to explore his dual interests in Vegas and counterculture. I had the absolute pleasure of working in the same studio as Rory as part of KMA, where he is also a member of KMAdotcom Collective, so this is high on my list of things to see. Another 15-minute walk later (I know, I know, you’re tired but I’m sure the energy in Rory’s show will have you pumped), we have Flannery O’Kafka at Sierra Metro. Flannery – recent recipient of the RSA Morton Award for Photography – is transforming the former carpet shop into a powder blue landscape where they will delve into personal and political histories, gender performance and respectability.
Leaving Sierra Metro (nearly there loves, I promise), you can head further to the water and towards the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. If you’re hungry you handily pass another great sandwich shop, Alby’s! From there, you can cut down the bike path and land at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop. Here, they have Everything Is Satisfactual by Sequoia Danielle Barnes, a deconstruction of toy culture, and specifically the history of Black representation within this practice. Again, an accessibility note – for this show they have devised specific touch tours, so if you know someone that wouldlike that do let them know! Also, viewable from the street in the front galleries, they have Hybrids by Jan Pimblett. Expect potent totems and artifacts. ESW always has a really strong programme and these shows are no exception.
And that’s you. If you need it, head to the nearby Dreadnought for a soft drink, a hard drink, whatever is calling you. I once stayed in a flat near here that turned out to be haunted, and the Dreadnought provided a lot of solace to me then, as it can to you now. Alternatively, head down to Newhaven harbour, less than ten minutes walk away. Get a chippy and relax by the water… or go back into town and sleep with a stand-up comedian, a juggler or a street-performing steampunk magician. It’s summer, and that’s what pretty much everyone else in Edinburgh will be doing.
Words by Lisette May Monroe
