COSMOS - the art of observing Space

COSMOS - the art of observing Space opens at the Aberdeen Art Gallery on 21 November 2026 and runs through to 11 April 2027. It's a touring exhibition developed by the Royal West of England Academy in partnership with the Royal Astronomical Society, and it does something quite specific: it puts contemporary art and historic scientific artefacts side by side to look at how we've always been fascinated by the universe.

On the art side, you'll find work by Christopher Le Brun, Cornelia Parker and Wolfgang Tillmans, alongside pieces from the Royal West of England Academy Academicians and some emerging artists. The scientific half comes from the Royal Astronomical Society and national collections, and that's where the real treasures are. We're talking historical moon drawings and star maps, celestial globes, and a 4.2 billion-year-old meteorite. Seeing a piece of the early solar system next to a contemporary painting is a good way to bridge the gap between STEM and the visual arts, and it's the core of what the show is about.

There's a bit of a story behind it, too. The exhibition was inspired by the world's focus on the Artemis II mission — NASA's first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years, and a key step towards a long-term return to the Moon and future crewed missions to Mars — as well as by the solar eclipse. It's a nice tie-in, especially when you're looking at those old moon drawings and thinking about where we're heading next.

It's on for a good while, from 21 November 2026 to 11 April 2027, at the Aberdeen Art Gallery (part of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums). Entry is free, with a pay-what-you-can option if you want to chip in.