The director responsible for guiding Dundee’s V&A project has been named.
Philip Long, currently senior curator of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, will take up his post in July.
His appointment adds major credence to the aims of Design Dundee Ltd, the company tasked with delivering the V&A.
Chairwoman Lesley Knox said, “Philip Long has an outstanding background in culture and the arts, particularly in relation to museums and galleries and he is the ideal person to take our project forward.”
Sir Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum said, “We are delighted that Philip Long has agreed to become director of the V&A at Dundee.
“His great knowledge of and enthusiasm for 20th century and contemporary design, and his proven talent for communicating contemporary art to a wide public are just what is needed for this exciting project.”
Mr Long said, “First of all can I say I am absolutely delighted to be appointed to lead the V&A at Dundee to reality it is a real honour.
“I have been intrigued and excited about the V&A at Dundee for some time, and when the opportunity came up I was extremely delighted.
“Design Dundee has impressed me greatly with its drive and by how much progress has been made already with the Scottish Government’s £5 million contribution and the architect’s competition already completed with a design that Scotland can be proud of.”‘I like getting my hands dirty’He added, “I think it’s a fantastic thing that Dundee had the ambition to go for the V&A, I think there’s an exceptional amount of energy in the city for this.”
Mr Long said he will be a “hands-on” director.
He said, “I will be very much getting involved in all aspects of the project I like getting my hands dirty.
“The design for the new museum is superb and the idea for the project is inspirational.”
He added, “V&A at Dundee will be international in ambition, and will rightly celebrate the vital part Scotland has played in design history, as well as being a focus for design-led innovation and opportunity in our country.”
Mr Long has been senior curator of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art since 1998.
Since 2008 he has been responsible for leading the National Galleries of Scotland’s Artist Rooms project, which, in collaboration with the Tate, brings exhibitions of international contemporary art to the UK.
An expert in Scottish art and design, he has organised exhibitions and written on William Gillies, Anne Redpath, the Scottish Colourists, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the architect Basil Spence.Creative cultureFrom 2003-10 he served on the Scottish Arts Lottery Committee, and in 2007 was invited to curate Scotland’s national representation at the Venice Biennale.
Most recently, he worked with Antony Gormley to develop a major public artwork in Edinburgh.
The V&A at Dundee is being delivered by Design Dundee Ltd, a partnership between the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee City Council, the universities of Dundee and Abertay Dundee and Scottish Enterprise.
Design Dundee Ltd is aiming to create a landmark building, sited at Craig Harbour on the banks of the River Tay.
The site is being made available through the Dundee Central Waterfront Partnership, the joint venture between Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise, which is revitalising the prime area of land linking the city centre with the River Tay.
An international design competition for the V&A at Dundee building was won by the Japanese practice Kengo Kuma and Associates.
The building will create a world-class public space celebrating the creative culture of design, the evolution of design, its role in our lives, its economic impact and its commercial relevance.