Discovering the past and the present with a Dundee museum double

The McManus has created a new exhibition that provides a great big nostalgic hug, while the V&A in Dundee has a new installation full of colour and sound.

The Street at McManus provides a walk down memory lane; an actual walk down a reimagined street that celebrates retail from an era that maybe only older visitors will recognise but is proving fascinating to the younger ones.

Before the refurbishment that closed the McManus for three years, the old shop and bar were two popular exhibits.

“This has been a long time coming,” says Museum Services Section Leader Gareth Jackson-Hunt. “About two and a half years ago, I put forward the idea of bringing our old shop and bar out of stores. It’s something we had been asked about regularly. We needed to do more though, so we decided to create a full concept shopping street. Throughout the time at home during lockdown I was sketching away in my bedroom.”

The idea was to make the street feel as immersive as possible, so bringing in specialists at creating sets from Dundee Rep gave the exhibition an almost film set quality.

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“It’s not authentic to any particular time period. There’s a kind of Victorian/Edwardian feel, but the whole idea is the atmosphere it creates. A lot of people have said it makes you feel like you’re walking down the street, hand in hand with your mum and dad.”

All the shops, have been given names of traditional Dundee retailers such as Draffens, Wm Low, Potters, The Toy Shop (it was called The Toy Shop) and even The John O’ Groats pub, which is a seamless a combination of two Dundee bars. There’s even a pawn shop.

“We didn’t bring out the mannequins from the shop and bar – they were pretty creepy,” says Jackson-Hunt. “They have been replaced by digital screens to give them a bit of life. We also added a bit of ambient noise.”

There are around 1000 objects in The Street, all but three from McManus stores.

“We only acquired three pieces for Draffens window. A pheasant hat, a ladies suit from the 1950s and a gents jacket. It’s often difficult to get good pieces from men – they tend to wear everything to pieces!”

There’s a chance to sit on the bench and have a flip through the books that detail every object in detail. The explainer panels tell the story of the shop each is named after as well as more about retail at the time.”

Jackson-Hunt says The Toy Shop has sparked most conversation, especially when several generations of a family visit together.

“Some of the objects prompt great stories and it’s just the right height for children. I do think it’s bringing people together again and reintroducing them to normal life.

“It’s comforting.”

ACROSS at V&A Dundee, the wellbeing comes from colour and sound and the chance to lose yourself in play, no matter your age.

The first Scottish installation by Yinka Ilori, Listening to Joy has created a playground for all ages in the Locke Hall on the V&A’s lower level.

Ilori is a London-based multidisciplinary artist of a British-Nigerian heritage and Leonie Bell, Director of V&A is delighted that they have managed to catch him as his star goes into the ascendancy.

She’s also delighted to be able to use the space of the Locke Hall to welcome visitors in before they head upstairs to the galleries, where Night Fever: Designing Club Culture runs until January 9, 2022.

Listening To Joy is described as a playscape. The brightly coloured mesh walls form a maze. The walls are zippable and can be opened and closed, changing the space.

There are also two circular xylophones, so the music inspired by the colourful surroundings can be created, recorded and mixed.

“What we’re aiming for is joy. It’s about optimism – bringing it to the darkest months of the year,” adds Bell. “I first heard about Ilori after a commission he had carried out for an organisation called Create London. It had commissioned him to create a playpark.”

This was the Flamboyance of Flamingos, where the artist transformed a disused play area in Parsloes Park, which is on the Becontree Estate. Through his rich use of colour it became new and revitalised with play equipment and a refurbished basketball court.

“I loved that he used flamingos as essential motifs. An iconic pink animal that really spoke to kids. But he also took his influences from Nigerian fabrics into the urban environment of London. I thought it was amazing.”

THE team at V&A Dundee have been charting Ilori’s rise. They were delighted that he wanted to visit the city and discuss how they could work together.

“He is always so busy so we were so pleased to get him. Even more so when he first came up to Dundee and was really excited about working with the space.”

Both the McManus and V&A experiences are a response to what we’ve been experiencing over the past two years. Our isolation and the isolation have had an impact on us all. These will promote different but positive emotions.

“In the end it’s simply about joy,” adds Bell. “It’s about how to create happy, happy spaces. We need that just now. I think we deserve it. Even here we’ve had a year when we have been joyous at actually being open each day.”

Listening to Joy is at the Locke Hall, V&A Dundee, until April 24, 2022 . Night Fever runs in the main exhibition space until January 9, 2022. The Street At The McManus can be seen until October 23, 2022.