Our programme

Projects

We support Scottish and international artists to make new and ambitious projects which engage with the extraordinary context of Edinburgh in August. Presented principally in public spaces, our projects allow access to overlooked or neglected stories or spaces in our city’s heritage.

Platform – now in its 9th year for 2023 – celebrates early career artists working in Scotland, with the opportunity for mentorship, production and exhibition. 

Throughout the year, we deliver a programme of activity that connects people to the city through art, making and ideas. You can read more about our Learning and Engagement Programme here.

Partner Exhibitions

Edinburgh Art Festival was founded in 2004 through an ambitious partnership of galleries committed to ensuring that high quality presentations of visual art remained at the core of Edinburgh’s summer festival experience. This partnership remains at the core of our festival, and is reflected in the rich programme of exhibitions developed for the festival each year by our Partner Galleries.

Presented across leading national institutions, internationally recognised contemporary art galleries and artist run spaces, it offers a chance to discover work by some of the very best historic and contemporary artists from Scotland, the UK and beyond.

Permanent Work

Our previous Commissions Programme has resulting in a number of permanent works for the city. A map of works can be found here.

These include:

Bobby Niven, Palm House, 2017 (Open to members of the general public on request)

Graham Fagen, A Drama in Time, 2016 (Currently inaccessible due to work happening at Waverley Station)

Martin Creed, Work No.1059, 2011 

Richard Wright, The Stairwell Project, 2010 

Alison Watt, Still, 2004 (No longer on display)