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In this market, the RHA’s Annual Exhibition needs to remain populist, to be inclusive and to attract a general audience, and this year’s show does all of these, writes AIDAN DUNNE

THIS YEAR’S RHA Annual Exhibition, the 179th, follows a mere six months after last year’s, which had been postponed to allow for the drastic and surprisingly successful remodelling of the academy’s Ely Place building. To follow up one huge exhibition so quickly with another might seem rash given the state of the economy, particularly considering the disappointing sales last time around, but it was the right thing to do. The annual exhibition’s natural slot in the calendar is now, and it’s best to get it back on track. Early signs are that the commercial environment is still challenging, to put it mildly, but the show itself is very good.