ANDY GOLDSWORTHY FIFTY YEARS AT THE ROYAL SCOTTISH ACADEMY

Until November 2, 2025, the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh is presenting Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years, a major retrospective celebrating five decades of the British artist. This immersive exhibition brings together over 200 works including photographs, sculptures, installations, and drawings, tracing the evolution of his work from the 1970s to his recent creations. Goldsworthy is renowned for his poetic use of natural materials such as stone, snow, leaves, and wool, which he transforms into ephemeral outdoor installations.

The exhibition occupies the entire upper galleries and a large part of the ground floor of the iconic RSA building. Goldsworthy has designed the entire show as a unique artwork, responding to the materials and architecture of the space. Highlights include Wool Runner (2025), a wool rug running up a monumental staircase, and Gravestones (2025), an installation made of tombstones collected from cemeteries in Dumfries and Galloway, exploring themes of memory and mortality.

The exhibition also emphasizes the political and social dimensions of Goldsworthy’s work, often overlooked by the traditional art world. Works like Rain Shadow (2024), an imprint left on the gallery’s damp floor, and Red Wall (2025), a red earthen wall, question the relationships between humans, nature, and territory. This retrospective offers well-deserved recognition to an artist whose raw and sublime work invites deep reflection on our connection to the natural world.