Dundee: the V&A and the McManus

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V&A Dundee and RRS Discovery

London’s V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) claims to be the world-leading museum of art and design, so there has been great excitement waiting for its Scottish branch to be completed. V&A Dundee opened in September 2018 and the main purpose of our weekend trip in November was to check it out. The ship next to it in the image above is RRS (Royal Research Ship) Discovery, the last traditional three-masted ship to be built in Britain (in 1901). We visited the following day, so more on that in my next post.

I always assumed the exterior of the V&A was meant to represent a ship, to complement Discovery, but I read it was intended to look like sea-cliffs. I can see both things in it. Architect Kengo Kuma has also said he wanted to create a “living room for the city” for everyone to visit and enjoy and I think he has succeeded in that too.

V and A Dundee
V and A Dundee
V and A Dundee, interior

There are two main parts to the museum: a gallery for temporary (paid) exhibitions and the permanent collection. While we were there, the exhibition was Ocean liners: speed and style (now ended). I thought this was very well done: spacious and with a clear path through it so that, although busy, you weren’t falling over other people. The large hall with models dressed elegantly for bathing and dining was superb.

Ocean liners exhibition
Ocean liners exhibition

This panel from the Titanic also caught my eye (click to enlarge explanation).

Titanic panel
Titanic panel

On emerging from Ocean liners we decided to have lunch, but both the café and the restaurant were packed full so we ploughed on to the permanent exhibition, the Scottish Design Galleries. I admit to recoiling in horror when we opened the door. After Ocean liners the space seemed small and cramped with no obvious route through it and people everywhere. There were two things we really wanted to see: Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room, a tea room interior created in 1908 which has been in storage since the 1970s, and the set for The Cheviot, the stag and the black, black oil (1973). This was a play by 7:84, a theatre company which took its name from the fact that 7% of the world’s population owned 84% of its wealth. Playwright John McGrath wrote of the exploitation of the Highlands between 1746 and 1973 which artist John Byrne illustrated in the form of a giant picture book which could be carried from venue to venue strapped to the roof of a van. The cast turned the pages as necessary – in the museum in November it was open at a war memorial scene (more info here).

Mackintosh room
7:84 set

We need to go back to give the permanent gallery more attention when it has been open longer and is (maybe) quieter. In the meantime, to recover from cultural overload, we went into the city centre for a quick lunch – and then went to another museum! The McManus is Dundee’s civic art gallery and museum, and it was much quieter – I hope it’s not going to suffer too much from the competition of the V&A. The building is Victorian Gothic and quite spectacular (photos taken the following evening as we don’t seem to have any day time ones).

McManus Galleries Dundee
McManus Galleries Dundee

Nor do we have many interior photos, and the ones we have I can’t remember what they are! One picture below might give me some ideas for my Scottish words feature. The coloured glass bottles in the other were an installation running from top to bottom of the building’s stairwell.

Waldella by David Batchelor

We truly were punch drunk with culture by this time, so we returned to the hotel for a reviving cuppa before heading out again for dinner. The following day we had plans for two more museums. Would we last the pace?

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  4. Looks like another trip to Dundee sometime in the not too distant future when things have quietened down a tad. Be nice to sample the food at the cafe.

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  6. Glad to finally hear your thoughts on the Dundee V&A. It sort of sounds like the opposite of the London branch in terms of crowds – the temporary exhibitions are always horribly crowded, but there’s so many permanent galleries that those are usually fairly quiet. Here’s hoping the Dundee one quiets down a little once people get used to it!

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  8. No matter how interesting museums are, there are times when we do get on sensory overload. But I loved the looks of that first museum, and have to admit it looked like a ship to me, too. So interesting!

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  9. Definitely a ship!!

    Wow Dundee has changed since we were last there, going to be booking that flight north sooner rather than later me thinks!

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  10. Your experience at the V&A in Dundee matches mine on my first attempt to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller Alberta: people were stacked five deep in front of some of the exhibits. I traded our tickets in and we returned three weeks later after the tourist season had died down. I do hope you’ll venture back to Dundee at a better time.

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  11. now 1% own more wealth than the other 99% according to Oxfam. Hard to get an idea of how big V&A is inside as I was thinking its not a huge space when they were constructing it although I like the design. Tardis perhaps? Love Dundee, always loads to do and good city walks along the seafront or over the hills and parks.

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  12. The V&A looks great – a big airy space. I think I would have enjoyed the Ocean liners exhibition – I always fancy the idea of a luxury cruise on an old fashioned liner – me wearing my elegant bathing and evening clothes! 😉 How lovely to see the Charles Rennie Mackintosh tea room interior – I am a great fan of his style.

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  13. I am not telling Mr ET that you went to four museums in two days! He would think that was great. I get through them much fast than he does, because he reads every word. The new V&A sounds wonderful and hopefully the crowds will thin once the novelty has worn off.

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  14. Anabel – you’ve no doubt survived the museum overload, which is probably not near as tiring as the people-and-noise overlaod. It’s a good news, bad news story, isn’t it? Good for the museum, bad for any quiet study 🙂

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  15. Two hours is my maximum in a Museum unless it’s one that is telling a story as you move from room to room (the Wine Museum in Rioja) or the Cairo Museum which I had to be dragged from it was so interesting, but intense. I was so glad to see you mention The The Cheviot, the stag and the Black, Black Oil by the group 7:84. I saw this on television when it was first produced and it blew me away, then a friend from Galloway told me that was nothing compared to the stage production which he saw in a village hall somewhere near Galloway. John McGrath was a brilliant playwright.

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    • The Citizens revived it a few years ago and we didn’t see it – whether we were away or too slow to get tickets I can’t remember. It would have been something to see in a wee village hall somewhere! I remember going to 7:84 in Edinburgh in the early 80s, also Wildcat which grew out of it, but nothing about what we saw 😟.

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  16. I enjoyed my visit to the Discovery when I was last in Dundee (for a conference, so at least 12 years ago, and probably 15). It looks like I should make a trip back some time 🙂

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  17. I absolutely love museums but do agree that it can get a bit too intense to visit many in quick succession. I find that my brain just refuses to absorb any additional information and then I get frustrated at myself for not making the most of the visit. As we discussed before, my sisters had the same experience at the V&A Dundee and have decided to leave it quite some time before returning and trying again. That gigantic pop-up book is amazing. I would love to see all of the pages.

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    • We packed four into the Dundee weekend, and because they were all good it worked ok. I wouldn’t like to do that every weekend though! I don’t know when we’ll go back – the next couple of exhibitions don’t appeal so it will probably be next year. I love the pop-up too. I did see at least one play by 7:84 but I don’t think it was this one.

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  19. I quite agree about the McManus. I was at both museums last weekend and enjoyed the McManus more. It’s probably the best local authority-run museum in Scotland outside Glasgow. Stunning building and great exhibits.

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      • The Ocean Liners was a very well designed exhibition. It just looked beautiful. Dundee’s links to computer games makes that a good choice for the V and A but it might not work for a lot of people.

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  20. I don’t consider myself much of a museum person – especially when traveling – but, more times than not, when I’ve taken the time to really immerse myself in one, I’ve gone away happy that I did. I’m not crazy about crowds, though. I think your strategy of going back once it’s been open longer. I love the design of the V&A Dundee (I think it looks like a ship too).

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  24. Hi Anabel – looks interesting … the main exhibit reminds me of the British Museum specials – always crowded … while the spacious ones may be busy – but there’s usually a way around and space to see from a distance.

    Love the look of the McManus …I’ve yet to get to the higher reaches of Scotland! Thanks – loved seeing them through your eyes … cheers Hilary

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  25. Another matching outing! I went to see the V&A too in November and feel the same. I loved the Ocean Liners exhibition and spent 2 hours in it. But I found the permanent exhibition too dark and too busy (maybe because it’s free?) The building alone is worth seeing but I’d have been a bit disappointed if I had only seen the permanent exhibition. I’ve never been to the McManus so must add that to my list. Interestingly, friends went to Dundee to see the V&A and actually preferred the McManus.

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  26. I too think that the V&A Dundee looks like a ship … very pleasing to the eye.

    I confess I’m not much of a museum person. I don’t have the attention span to ponder through the exhibits. After I finish admiring the building, I’m usually pretty well done. So I will simply have to enjoy museums through the eyes of others 🙂

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