Art Night Dundee

Art Night is a biennial contemporary art festival presenting ambitious new art work in public spaces. In 2023 Art Night delivered its first full iteration in a city outside London — the festival presented ten major commissions by internationally significant and more emergent artists across Dundee, Scotland.

The artistic director Helen Nisbet’s brief for this year’s edition emphasised the many dichotomies involved; Dundee was both a city of rich historical importance as a port, but one which now has a young, vibrant feel and places a huge focus on art and design, thanks thanks to the Duncan of Jordanstone College and the newly opened V&A. Also, while the festival is a big, national event, she wanted it to feel like a house party — DIY, grassroots and artist-led.

I wanted to meld Dundee's rich history and big scenic vistas with the city's cool, arty feel. As a lead image for the festival, I chose John Slezer ‘Prospect of ye Town of Dundee from ye East’ but treated with a retro duotone, dusky palette — evocative of a typical late summer evening . The bubble writing graphic references the city's rich comic book culture, while the glitching is a nod to the city’s video game industry.