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Celebrating & sharing exceptional objects & ideas for the everyday through podcasts, exhibitions, conversations & commissions.

    Passing Bench by James Rigler in Mount Stuart’s Marble Hall on the Isle of Bute. The bench formed part of Sitting Pretty, a series of five DES commissions celebrating seating and park benches. Images Keith Hunter.

    Earth Matters – open call

    Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Design Exhibition Scotland are delighted to announce an open call to artists, makers, craftspeople and designers based in Scotland to submit expressions of interest to exhibit in Earth Matters at Inverleith House Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Earth Matters will open in March 2026 and run to October 2026. The deadline for submissions is 9am on Friday 23rd May.

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    Dixon lands in Dundee!

    DRINKING FOUNTAINS
    Over the last 4 years, DES has commissioned a series of drinking fountains. The latest is Dixon, an eye-catchingly good looking fountain for our contemporary age. Created by Mirrl of Glasgow, here fountaineer Simon Harlow talks design inspiration & colour ways.

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    Watering Spots

    DRINKING FOUNTAINS
    DES has long wanted to revive the drinking fountain and celebrate outstanding design and provide free and clean drinking water. In 2019 we invited Tania Kovats and collaborating artists Laura Aldridge and James Rigler to design a fountain fit for our contemporary age.

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    Sitting Pretty

    Design Exhibition Scotland’s OPEN CALL to design a park bench was inspired by a wish to celebrate all that the public bench offers: the joy of sitting down, the great outdoors and of course the chance to pause for thought and take in a view. Partnering with Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute, the selected benches were shown at Mount Stuart last summer before travelling on to V&A Dundee earlier this year.

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    Posted in DES