What’s on
Current and Soon-to-Launch Exhibitions at Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Infinite Order
What happens when a graphic system originally designed to organise time becomes a mechanism for generating the experience of time? By Leigh Bagley.
Touching the Collection
Partly inspired by the looping turntablism of Philip Jeck and Janek Schaefer, massively inspired by the collection of instruments at St Cecilia’s Hall, Touching the Collection offers you a direct interface to the sample library we have created from baroque flutes, lutes, guitars, horns, keyboards and a sideless violin.
Permanent artworks and Exhibitions
One of the ways to connect with, learn and explore at Edinburgh Futures Institute is through these artworks that have made their home in the building.
Edinburgh Seven Tapestry
Designed by Christine Borland and created by Dovecot Studios, the Edinburgh Seven Tapestry commemorates the first women to matriculate at any British university.
The Future of Education
A collection of three powerful and evocative works of poetry, commissioned to accompany the Edinburgh Futures Conversations: Future of Education series exploring themes of crisis, AI and utopia.
The Spirit Case
An object created to honour the time of transition from hospital to futures institute and act as a touchstone for memories and future dreaming.
Borne by the Walls
An exhibition of portraits, poems and texts that honours the complex past life of Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the mark it has left on the minds, bodies and life stories of people in Edinburgh and beyond.
Edinburgh Futures Institute Time Capsule
This time capsule is built of elm wood, preserved from the only tree that had to be taken down as part of the restoration of Edinburgh Futures Institute building in 2024.
Past Exhibitions
Healing Histories
Past, Present, and Futures of Decolonising Knowledge in the Medical and Health Sciences.
An Edinburgh Medical School 300 showcase exhibition
Sam Sharma: Umbilical Phantoms
Umbilical Phantoms is an exhibition of paintings and a birthing chair by Sam Sharma exploring embodied memory and reflections on pregnancy and childbirth.
Where We Are
Beyond August, the Book Festival’s work continues all year long spreading the power of words and ideas through an ongoing Communities Programme.
AI Literacy Challenge
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most important technologies of our age and understanding how it works and the impact it has on our lives is more important than ever.
The Marks Left Behind
Every building holds stories beyond those recorded in archives. They are written instead through countless everyday encounters: footsteps, pauses, conversations,
death of the a(i)uthor
The property ‘human-made’ is poised to become increasingly valuable in a world where AI generated content saturates creative spaces… Or will it?
a space for encapsulation
This project explores the coastal areas of Scotland where industrial and natural structures have become interwoven.
The Body and Space
The Body and Space features selected work from the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation (SCF), a joint institute between Donghua University, Shanghai and the University of Edinburgh.
Imbrication
Location: LEVEL2, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF DATES: APRIL-MAY 2026 Opening times: MonDAY – FrIDAY 9am
Future Voices
Welcome to Edinburgh Futures Institute’s 2026 Student Exhibition.
Immersive Calanais: Past, Present and Future
An immersive exhibition inviting visitors to experience the Calanais standing stones (Scotland), as part of a continuing relationship between people and place.
Living Lithograph
Originally developed as a tool for the creation of a series of lithographs based on Ernst Haeckel’s ‘Kunstformen Der Natur’, the tool has now been reformatted for display at Edinburgh Futures Institute as we continue to share examples of how artists are exploring concepts of evolution via generative and digital artworks.
Weaving Through Time – 300 Years of Medicine
This exhibition is a woven tribute to our shared history, showcasing bespoke designs for a new tartan to honour our medical school community’s enduring spirit. This is an opportunity to thread together stories of care, strength and innovation and to sow the seeds of a legacy for future generations.
You Are Here (2019-2025)
You Are Here is a generative artwork based on the live positions of the stars from a precise viewpoint on earth, in this case Edinburgh Futures Institute
Have an idea to share?
Enquiries, engagement opportunities and exhibition proposals should be sent to Jennifer Williams, Creative Projects Manager, at j.l.williams@ed.ac.uk.
Edinburgh Futures Institute exhibition spaces are curated by Jennifer Williams with support from curatorial collaborators and guests as well as a steering group. Work is selected based on its alignment with Edinburgh Futures Institute priorities and areas of interest, as well as on its ability to engage audiences in provocative and creative ways to consider both the challenges we face as a global society and the possibilities presented to us for learning, well-being, innovation and transformation.
Programming is typically scheduled one to three years in advance of exhibitions, and we are already committed to hosting a certain number of exhibitions each year for students and researchers at University of Edinburgh, so please consider our themes and interests, lead times and constraints on programming space when sharing ideas.
