The decision to establish a Scottish Parliament Art Collection began in 2002 with an aim to showcase Scotland’s living artists in the new Parliament designed by Enric Miralles, who said of his design that it was a building ‘growing out of the land’, and to commission new art in the context of what the establishment of a new Parliament meant for Scotland. Key themes were used to shape the Collection: the impact of humanity and politics on the landscape, the relationship of Scots with the sea, and the identity and history of people living in Scotland. The Collection represents over 50 of Scotland’s artists and craftspeople including Ian Hamilton Finlay, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, Christine Borland, Alison Watt, Callum Innes, John Bellany, Will Maclean, Thomas Joshua Cooper and Gunnie Moberg.