To immerse in the real world of artistry where every single human emotion, whether pain, happiness, sorrow, glee, or jealousy, forms its way through the compositions; to act as a catalyst of creativity and mindfulness; to challenge our status quos while celebrating diverse perspectives; visiting an exhibition is much more than just some history class. Keeping the same spirit, the National Gallery of Scotland announced its entire plan for the 2025 exhibition program.
The upcoming exhibition includes extraordinary installations in the Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years, paintings from The World of King James VI and I, taking to the skies with Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer, ending with a celebration of Turner in January: The Vaughan Bequest from the National Gallery of Ireland for 250 years and more.
The first exhibition, ‘Turner in January: The Vaughan Bequest’ will be held from January 1 to January 31, 2025, at the Royal Academy Building. Portraying a once-in-a-lifetime display to celebrate the 250 years of beloved British artist JMW Turner, another exhibition with 30 works of Turner can be seen in Dublin at no cost. Being the best and most loved artist from Britain, Turner is sometimes called by the title ‘the painter of light’ due to his excellent colors to constitute exceptional landscapes and seascapes.
The next exhibition which will happen from March 8 to May 26, 2025, is the display of the work of the poet, sculptor, printmaker, and provocateur, Ian Hamilton Finlay at Modern Two, celebrating the centenary of the Scottish artist. It includes the display of over 30 sculptures, installations, and prints as well as extensive archival materials from the Scotland National collection. The artist was a famous poet, hence creating poetic objects between the 1960s and 1990s. Furthermore, his focus on maritime themes like boats inspired him to compose sculptures that included sea elements.
From April 26 to September 14, 2025, to mark the 400-year anniversary of King James’s death, an exhibition, The World of King James VI & I, will take place. It will present the remarkable reign of King James through stories of friendship, feuds, family, and ambition through 100 objects including ornate paintings, dazzling jewels, lavish designs, and important loans from galleries across the UK. The exhibition is a significant step toward seeing the court life of James along with the contributions he made toward artistic development, further showing the extraordinary skills of the artists and craftsmen in England and Scotland in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century.
The most significant exhibition will be of the artist Andy Goldsworthy which will occur between July 26 – November 2, 2025. Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years will take place at the Royal Scottish Academy where it will display over 200 works including photographs, sculptures, and expansive new installations. The artist is famous for his works, which are made of natural materials and it is significant for future generations to witness his mesmerizing journey of excellent craftsmanship.
To take you to the skies as if you are above the clouds to witness the beauty of the remarkable work of Alfred Buckham, The National Gallery further presents you the exhibition of Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer from October 18, 2025 –April 19, 2026. What makes it worth visiting is the exceptional and iconic aerial photographs taken by the artist at death-defying lengths, further challenging the impossibility of taking such a perfect aerial image in the 20th century. Through his pictures, the present and future generations of photography see the innovative techniques, which were paved by the artist. An exceptional marvel of creativity and interest, this exhibition is all for the future photographers and true art lovers out there.
Finishing up, the exhibition, Your Art World at the National Gallery on May 10- November 2, 2025, will showcase the exceptional and most inspirational works of young artists (aged 3-18) from all over Scotland. The initiative to display the young artists’ works in such a professional form encourages more people to be wildly creative. The tickets can be brought through the website and it varies for different exhibitions.
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Featured Image: Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino by JMW Turner | Source: J. M. W. Turner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.