Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are a pair of Canadian installation artists who have been collaborating for over ten years. In this, their first exhibition in Scotland, several of their most interesting and impressive works are on display, along with a custom-built installation for the Fruitmarket – the titular 'House of Books'.

These installations are incredibly rich and nuanced, incorporating detailed soundscapes and music with machinery, text, found objects and video to create unique and beautiful environments which the visitor can view and explore. Each piece tells a clear and distinctive story while hinting at countless other tales hidden beneath the surface. By using ordinary or found objects, Cardiff and Miller infuse their work with familiarity while still giving voice to a sense of magic or peculiarity. Ranging from eerie to joyful, nostalgic to melancholy, every installation is thoughtful and precise in its composition.

One of the most moving pieces is 'Opera for a Small Room', which takes place in a small wooden cabin built in the middle of the gallery space. The cabin is jam-packed with LPs, record players, speakers and other accoutrements of a recording studio or eccentric music collection. Over twenty minutes, we are treated to a fantastic, theatrical performance from an unseen narrator. As music plays, lights flicker and phonographs turn on and off, it is easy to get lost in the unfolding story – a tale of loneliness and music which culminates in a booming guitar-driven piece and the sound of an audience cheering and clapping.

If you weren't lucky enough to see This House of Books Has No Windows, look for a chance to see Cardiff and Miller in action as soon as you can.