Concrete cast in starring role at show of student art and design

Eye-catching concrete columns, smart bins that reward dog owners who clean up and a life size model of a panda enclosure were among the highlights in a new exhibition of students' work.

The exhibition at the University of Edinburgh, which opened on Saturday (15 August), featured the work of more than 130 graduate artists, architects and designers.

For nine days Edinburgh College of Art was transformed into one of the city’s biggest gallery spaces. The Masters Degree Show was full of ingenious designs, delicate art works, and strange musical happenings created by postgraduate students.

Architecture student Keith Milne formed strange, organic shapes by casting concrete in fabric rather than traditional solid moulds. By pouring concrete into funnels made from cotton left over from a toga party, Milne created a series of striking columns.

Product Design student Yixuan Jiang invented a digital system that rewards people for cleaning up dog mess. Scoopit uses specially designed bins and an app to encourage people to keep streets clean.

Aimee McCulloch, who studies glass, tapped into the moods created by stained glass in cathedrals to create a series of immersive works that employ light and colour to invoke a sense of awe.

Inspired by 18th Century Edinburgh, textile student Martin McBride combined beautiful illustrations with luscious fabrics to create opulent and beautiful materials.

Elsewhere in Contemporary Art Practice, Chao Fu-Le transformed a room into an exact replica of the panda’s enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo using nothing but paper. Fellow student Emma Potterill’s pop-up punk band Martian Law played a strange, otherworldly show as part of the exhibition.

Engaging work by illustration and graphic design students, extravagant creations by fashion and performance costume students, and thought-provoking pieces by film and TV and animation students were also on show.

A closing concert featuring sound design and digital composition and performance students took place in the Wee Red Bar at the Edinburgh College of Art Lauriston Place campus on Sunday 23 August from 7pm.

The ECA Masters Degree Show was part of the Edinburgh Art Festival. It ran from 15 - 23 August, 11:00 - 17:00 and 20:00 on 19 and 20 August.

Further information can be found on the official website: