NIGHTCLUBS are spaces for adventure and escape – and V&A Dundee is charting their evolution from the 1960s as it re-opens its doors tomorrow with Night Fever: Designing Club Culture.
From New York’s Studio 54 to Manchester’s Hacienda, clubs have always encouraged experimental and radical design, and the exhibition examines how they have come into people’s homes now through online streaming, and how their design has altered over the years.
The exhibition includes a new section on Scotland’s unique and distinct club culture, including legendary club nights in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paisley, exploring how the Scottish club scene links to the music and influences of Chicago, Detroit and Europe.
It also features playlists of music chosen and mixed by Scottish DJs and artists including Dundee’s Hilltown Disco, Heir of the Cursed, ISO YSO, OHO141, Jim Lambie, Junglehussi, Anna Meredith, and Sofay.
The exhibition celebrates these cultural spaces as we all look to a brighter future where everyone can come back together, dance and enjoy shared public experiences again, post-Covid.
V&A Dundee is also curating and hosting a series of Night Fever-inspired online events, talks and workshops to run alongside the exhibition.
The next event is a free online Tay Late show scheduled next Friday.
It will include a DJ set from Ana Matronic, music from Dundee’s Le Freak Records, and a newly commissioned film combining spoken word, visuals and original sound by Kayus Bankole, of Mercury Prize-winning Scottish band Young Fathers.
V&A Dundee director Leonie Bell said: “I can’t think of a better exhibition to re-open V&A Dundee with, as we all look to the future with hope and optimism.
“Clubs are fascinating spaces where a huge range of design disciplines come together to create distinct, collective, and immersive experiences on the dancefloor.”
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