V&A Dundee anniversary: Tartan exhibition is for the people

The V&A Dundee is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

And, as it prepares to open its next exhibition celebrating all things Tartan, it’s a good time to ask if Scotland’s first design museum has lived up to expectations.

Tartan will be the eighth exhibition when it opens in April. And, having been to them all, I believe it’s a good choice for this special year.

When I posted about it recently there were thousands of reactions across all of Dundee Culture’s platforms.

And, like everyone else it seems, I can’t wait to see what designs are on display.

the writer Andrew Batchelor next to a quote: "if you were to ask me what I'd like to see in the next five years, I would say make better use of that main foyer with an open plan Dundee Design Gallery."

Maybe this popularity shows the museum is addressing some of the comments it’s received from visitors.

Because, despite the amazing impact that the V&A Dundee has had on the city’s reputation elsewhere, it has not been exempt from criticism.

I’ve heard people say it’s ‘too empty’, ‘too expensive’. That it ‘has nothing to do with Dundee’, or that it is ‘boring because there is nothing to do’.

Items featuring include a suit designed by Liquorice Black (left) and a still from the film 1745. — Items from the new Tartan exhibition at V&A Dundee, including a suit designed by Liquorice Black (left) and a still from the film 1745. Image: Cheddar Gorgeous/Jonathan Birch/V&A Dundee

The main foyer area has also attracted complaints about its vast amount of unused space.

However, in the past few months, we’ve seen the area being put to good use, for the ‘Future of Ageing’ mini exhibition for instance, or the interactive maze that was set up before that.

And a lot of the criticism of the V&A Dundee that I receive via Dundee Culture is done in a constructive way.

interior of V&A Dundee museum. — Some people have asked why V&A Dundee has so much open space.

I believe there is a lot of love for the museum locally, although I do get asked why it doesn’t have more Dundee artefacts.

V&A Dundee anniversary is something to celebrate

Dundee Culture has been working with the V&A Dundee in a partnership since late last year.

We’ve already worked on content promoting the Scottish Design Galleries and the outgoing Plastics exhibition.

More recently, I interviewed Andrew Valentine about the Valentine’s card company exhibition.

🧵🚨 #NEW: I had the great privilege of meeting Andrew Valentine at @VADundee as part of Dundee Culture's partnership with the museum. #DundeeCulturexVADundee pic.twitter.com/6yxjy38ier

— Dundee Culture (@DundeeCulture) February 8, 2023

I’m proud of the partnership and I’m aiming to showcase why it is such a brilliant place to visit.

And I do think the V&A Dundee has been the catalyst for change that was promised when it opened in 2018.

Dundee’s international reputation has grown profoundly, and the museum has helped to redefine Dundee – becoming an image of the city’s regeneration and ever-growing design industry

But more still needs to be done for the museum to be the best it can be.

exterior of V&A Dundee. — The V&A has become a symbol for Dundee. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson

Tartan is a brilliant example of that. It’s an exhibition tailored to appeal to the people of Dundee and Scotland, along with visitors across the UK and the rest of the world.

And if you were to ask me what I’d like to see in the next five years, I would say make better use of that main foyer with an open plan Dundee Design Gallery.

A changing display of Dundee-related artefacts here would be a great way to remind people of the Dundee element of V&A Dundee every time they walk through the doors.