'A love story to the city of Dundee' and an exhibition exploring mans' relationship with gardens will feature among the centrepiece events in the V&A Dundee's programme for 2024/25.

‘The Dundee Tapestry’, billed as a love story to the city, ‘A Fragile Correspondence’, examining ways to think about architecture and land and ‘Garden Futures’, an exhibition exploring people and gardening, will feature during the course of the year. The first two of those are free events, with the Garden Futures exhibition the only one which is ticketed. 

Research found that the V&A has been worth around £304 million to the economy since it was opened in 2018 and that is despite the lean years of Covid when museums were closed around the country. 

Speaking about the events, Leonie Bell, who is the director of V&A Dundee, said: “V&A Dundee is designed for everyone, a place full of activity and energy, always changing through a dynamic design programme and from the ways visitors and communities make it their own. 

“These three upcoming exhibitions celebrate the infinite ways that design shapes our lives and our environments. From the Dundee Tapestry’s stitched love story to the city, to A Fragile Correspondence's exploration of three Scottish landscapes that looks at new ways to think about architecture and land, through to the history of modern garden design. 

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“Garden Futures is an exhibition that unearths our deep relationship to, and delight, from gardening and gardens as places of creativity, of production and labour, of pleasure, solitude and community, as well as being places full of promise and hope for the future.

“Next year’s major new exhibition, Garden Futures: Designing with Nature explores the design history of the garden and imagines how gardens and gardeners can help us imagine and create a greener future. Later this year, A Fragile Correspondence will show at V&A Dundee following its debut last year at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale. 

“We’re absolutely delighted that the Dundee Tapestry will return in November, bringing a new opportunity to celebrate the work of the 140-strong community of stitchers who created each of the 35 beautifully made panels. Stitch by stitch, the Dundee Tapestry tells the stories of the people, places and moments that made and changed Dundee, and brings so much joy to all those who see it.”

What is each event?

The Dundee Tapestry (opens 1 November 2024 – free)

The Dundee TapestryThe Dundee Tapestry (Image: Alan Richardson)

The Dundee Tapestry is the first to open in November. The complete Dundee Tapestry was first revealed to the public earlier this year with more than 86,000 people visiting V&A Dundee while the tapestry was on show. It returns to the Michelin Design Gallery later this year because of its ongoing popularity with visitors near and var.

The Dundee Tapestry tells the story of the city’s industrial heritage, creative achievements, biodiversity and people through 35 hand-stitched panels. It was created by more than 140 volunteer stitchers, with many taking up a needle and thread for the first time to tell Dundee’s unique story.

The Dundee Tapestry was conceived and developed by John Fyffe MBE of the Weaver Incorporation of Dundee. The panels were co-designed by Dr Frances Stevenson from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and Andrew Crummy MBE, the artist behind the Great Tapestry of Scotland.

A Fragile Correspondence (opens 22 November 2024 – free)

The Fragile Correspondence teamThe Fragile Correspondence team (Image: Matthew Arthur Williams)

The second event is ‘A Fragile Correspondence’ which opens on November 22. It is a journey through three Scottish landscapes across the Highlands (Loch Ness), Islands (Orkney) and Lowlands (Ravencraigs) to map out a collection of creative responses by architects, artists and writers.

It explores the relationship between land, architecture and language and seeks new ways of working in connection with the land rather than just on it.

The project was selected to represent Scotland at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023, which is an international exhibition inviting participants to engage with ideas for the environment.

Garden Futures: Designing with Nature (opens 17 May 2025 – ticketed)

The final event announced, and the only one which is ticketed, is Garden Futures. This exhibition explores gardens from across the globe and how they have influenced the way people design and inhabit gardens in the modern day.

It highlights key moments of inspiration and innovation in gardening and garden design from the 20th century to the present day, as well as artworks and design inspired by gardens.

Garden Futures looks to view the area as more than a place to retreat but also somewhere where ideas for a more sustainable future can be tried and tested.

The exhibition is colour-filled and promises to take visitors on an illuminating journey explorying the history and future of gardens looking at examples from people such as Piet Oudolf, Mien Ruys, Derek Jarman and Eelco Hooftman.

Community-led projects in Scotland including Maxwell Community Garden, part of the Grow Dundee food growing and community garden network, and Oban’s Seaweed Gardens will feature alongside work by Charles Jencks and the garden designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd at Maggie’s Centre, Dundee. 

Garden Futures: Designing with Nature is an exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum, the Wüstenrot Foundation, and the Nieuwe Instituut.