The show is deeply rooted in the historic interiors and surroundings of Mount Stuart, a neo-Gothic mansion, with Ryan drawing inspiration from the building’s domestic past and physical details.
The Weather Inside II is grounded in the domestic history of Mount Stuart house (Image: Neil Hanna)
Elements such as worn banquettes and weathered exterior leadwork have informed the artist’s response, while the changing climate of the west of Scotland and the natural environment surrounding the house also feature in the work.
Organisers say the exhibition represents Ryan’s most significant presentation in Scotland to date and offers fresh insight into both the lives lived inside the house and its wider setting.
The Isle of Bute itself plays a key role in the exhibition, with its geographic isolation shaping aspects of the work.
The opening weekend will also include a public conversation between Ryan and Sophie Crichton Stuart, director of Mount Stuart Trust’s Contemporary Visual Arts Programme, on Sunday at 10am.
Veronica Ryan’s The Weather Inside II comprises new work which intersects life, death and the spaces in between, (Image: Neil Hanna)
Veronica Ryan said: “The Weather Inside II is in part interior life. We had cabinets with decorative items, family photos on a different scale. Intersecting histories of life, death and the inbetween.”
The exhibition forms part of a wider programme of events at Mount Stuart, which will mark the 25th anniversary of its contemporary visual arts programme in 2026.
Further highlights later this year include a performance by vocal and movement artist Elaine Mitchener in July, as well as the continuation of an artist residency scheme focused on socially engaged practice.
Mount Stuart, which has hosted contemporary exhibitions since 2001, is regarded as a leading venue for international-standard visual art in Argyll and Bute.