What better place than the City of Discovery to celebrate the Artist as Explorer?
That is the theme of the Impact8 multi-media print conference, which begins today in Dundee and has attracted 430 delegates from 31 countries.
Over the next four days, it will celebrate and explore the concept and application of print and printmaking in their multitude of forms.
This will include delegates being given an insight into Dundee’s own rich heritage of printing thanks to the newspapers, magazines and comics created by Courier publishers DC Thomson.
Co-organiser Professor Elaine Shemilt, of Dundee University, said: “This is the first time that the IMPACT8 is to be held in Scotland. It is an honour for Dundee to be hosting this prestigious conference and it brings to the city a significant cultural and financial boost.
“Having made a successful pitch for it in Melbourne two years ago we decided to create a complementary print festival that would run alongside the conference.
“The thinking behind this was because Dundee has one of the finest print workshops in Scotland.
“It also has an excellent printmaking department at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and of course the city has a very fine history of print and journalism through DC Thomson.
“Printmaking is something that Dundee can really showcase. It is something that we are very good at and it involves so many of our local people.
“We have world-class printmaking practitioners attending the conference and taking part in a superb programme of events that have been lined up.
“Printmaking takes many forms and we have been working with arts organisations all around Scotland.
“The conference will cover commercial and digital printing, historical aspects of printmaking and avant garde print practices within contemporary art.
“We’ll also explore how new technology is adopted and adapted by artists and the opportunities and challenges that presents.
“We have a raft of volunteers from various creative organisations and community groups.
“They have all come together to help us make this a special celebration of Scotland’s heritage and strengths in the print media.”
An IMPACT8 spokesman said: “The theme of this year’s conference is Borders and Crossings the Artist as Explorer and is intended to celebrate the practice, concept and application of print and printmaking in its widest possible constituency.”
For more on the event visit www.conf.dundee.ac.uk/impact8/home/