A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR CAPITAL OF CULTURE
Magnus Linklater Comment
The closing down of Inverleith House is not just a loss to the artistic world, it is a slap in the face for Edinburgh’s supposed status as a capital of culture. It is one of the only genuine centres for contemporary art in the city and has a long track record of staging world-class exhibitions.
Quite why the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh (RBGE) has felt the need to shut it has not been explained. There was no public announcement, merely a response to the righteous indignation of those who regard it as a unique and greatly valued art space.
A spokesman for the garden said that it could no longer afford to run the gallery and had decided to concentrate on its “core work” of horticulture instead. But from the earliest days of the plant-hunters, art and botanical studies have always belonged together, and part of the function of Inverleith House has been to exhibit works from the RBGE’s rich and well-endowed archive.
Across the country, smaller towns and cities are building on their cultural heritage rather than dismantling it. To witness the loss of a gallery so loved by thousands of people without offering either consultation, explanation or the opportunity of saving it for the nation, is a dereliction of duty that reflects badly on the RBGE and on the city itself.
Yesterday’s demonstration was evidence of how strongly the people of Edinburgh and art-lovers further afield feel about this unique place. The city council, Creative Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland must make it absolutely clear that Inverleith House will not be sacrificed without a fight.
Magnus Linklater Comment
The closing down of Inverleith House is not just a loss to the artistic world, it is a slap in the face for Edinburgh’s supposed status as a capital of culture. It is one of the only genuine centres for contemporary art in the city and has a long track record of staging world-class exhibitions.
Quite why the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh (RBGE) has felt the need to shut it has not been explained. There was no public announcement, merely a response to the righteous indignation of those who regard it as a unique and greatly valued art space.
A spokesman for the garden said that it could no longer afford to run the gallery and had decided to concentrate on its “core work” of horticulture instead. But from the earliest days of the plant-hunters, art and botanical studies have always belonged together, and part of the function of Inverleith House has been to exhibit works from the RBGE’s rich and well-endowed archive.
Across the country, smaller towns and cities are building on their cultural heritage rather than dismantling it. To witness the loss of a gallery so loved by thousands of people without offering either consultation, explanation or the opportunity of saving it for the nation, is a dereliction of duty that reflects badly on the RBGE and on the city itself.
Yesterday’s demonstration was evidence of how strongly the people of Edinburgh and art-lovers further afield feel about this unique place. The city council, Creative Scotland and the National Galleries of Scotland must make it absolutely clear that Inverleith House will not be sacrificed without a fight.