Past Exhibitions
- Exhibition
Game On
–Conceived and curated by Barbican Immersive, Game On examined the history and culture of video games. - Exhibition
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023
–Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world for nearly 60 years. - Exhibition
Rising Tide: Art and Environment in Oceania
12 Aug 2023 - 14 Apr 2024Rising Tide considered our relationship to the natural environment through contemporary responses to climate change and plastic waste by Indigenous Australian and Pacific Islander artists. - Exhibition
Beyond the Little Black Dress
–This exhibition explored design classics to cutting-edge catwalk creations, Beyond the Little Black Dress deconstructs this iconic garment and examines the radical power of the colour black in fashion. - Exhibition
The Declaration of Arbroath
–2020 marked the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, one of Scotland's most important historical artefacts. - Exhibition
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder
–This must-see exhibition brought a scientific perspective to The Doctor's adventures, drawing on content from across the full canon of Doctor Who. - Exhibition
Bernat Klein: Design in Colour
–This exhibition explored the life and career of Bernat Klein, one of the 20th century’s leading forces in modernist design, in this free exhibition marking the centenary of his birth. - Exhibition
E.coli by Luke Jerram
–An installation of Luke Jerram's E.colli sculpture was suspended from the Grand Gallery in this temporary display. - Exhibition
Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life
–This exhibition explored the history of anatomical study, from artistic explorations by Leonardo da Vinci to the Burke and Hare murders. - Exhibition
Audubon’s Birds of America
–This exhibition explored the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest, most coveted and biggest books. - Exhibition
Extinction Bell
–The Extinction Bell was a work by Bristol-based artist Luke Jerram that raised awareness of biodiversity loss. - Exhibition
Scotland's Climate Challenge
–This small exhibition highlighted the exciting work being carried out in Scotland to fight against climate change. - Exhibition
The Typewriter Revolution
–This exhibition explored how typewriters have helped to influence both society and technology, and why they are still popular today. - Exhibition
LEGO® Concorde Model
–Master builder Warren Elsmore and his team created a LEGO® Big Build of our very own Concorde, especially for us. - Exhibition
The Galloway Hoard: Viking-Age Treasure
–Visitors were able to see cleaned and conserved objects from the Hoard, revealing intricate decoration not seen since the objects' burial more than 1,000 years ago. - Exhibition
Scotland’s Precious Seas
–National Museums Scotland collection contains over 4 million marine invertebrates and 120,000 marine vertebrates. The objects on display demonstrated how these collections help us monitor the changing life in our waters. - Exhibition
Tyrannosaurs
–Tyrannosaurs explored the most feared and revered of all dinosaurs, bringing the latest palaeontological discoveries to life and challenging preconceptions about these ferocious predators. - Exhibition
Parasites: Battle for Survival
–This exhibition explored the challenges we face in fighting five of the most persistent parasites and the people who are fighting against them. - Exhibition
Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland
–Wild and Majestic considered the representation of Scotland around the world and explored the beginnings of the Scottish tourism industry. - Exhibition
Body Beautiful: Diversity on the Catwalk
–This exhibition looked at how today’s fashion industry is challenging perceptions and championing alternative ideals of beauty on the catwalk, in advertising, editorial and behind the camera. - Exhibition
Conscience Matters
–Conscience Matters examined the application process for conscientious objection, the reasons people had for opposing conscription, and what happened to them as a result. - Exhibition
Robots
–From early mechanised human forms to today’s cutting-edge technology, this major exhibition revealed our 500-year quest to make machines human. - Exhibition
Embroidered Stories: Scottish Samplers
–This exhibition provided an insight into the lives of children in the 18th and 19th centuries through a unique collection of Scottish samplers on loan from American collector Leslie B. Durst. - Exhibition
Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop
–This was the first major exhibition dedicated to Scottish pop music. It explored the musical culture of the nation over more than half a century, from influential indie pioneers to global superstars.