A text-based art exhibition has been installed at Slessor Gardens to commemorate Black History month.
Dundee artist Claire Yspol has created a public art exhibition called ‘A Lyrical Bibliography’, as part of an effort to highlight contributions to the city by black and ethnic minorities.
The project consists of more than 30 text-based designed posters which refer to other exhibitions, essays, poems, podcasts and more by black artists who have inspired artist Claire’s work.
Claire described her work on her website, saying: “A Lyrical Bibliography foregrounds the intellectual and artistic vision of black creators.
“Making this text-based art project was an opportunity for me to engage more deeply with the work of some of the black writers, designers, thinkers, and artists I admire.
“A Lyrical Bibliography consists of 30+ intriguing titles referring to equally intriguing exhibitions, essays, poems, podcasts, and more – many of which are available online.
“As an aggregate, these titles become a poetic text of sorts. This ‘text’ can also be used as a resource to find works by black creators to reflect on, as well as, be inspired by.”
The exhibition is run by Sharing Not Hoarding, a public art project located at Dundee’s waterfront development, where they aim to raise awareness of Black History Month in Dundee.
It will run until the end of October.
Last year, a similar exhibition at Slessor Gardens called A BREAdTH Apart was destroyed by vandals in what was suspected to be a racially motivated attack.
The previous exhibition was designed by artist Sekai Machache, who called the vandalism a “kick in the teeth” as the attack took place during Black History Month.
‘Wake-up call’
The attack sparked questions of a “wake-up call” for Dundee.
It came after vandals targetted another one of Sekai’s public exhibitions in the city and after a mural of George Floyd, whose death in the US sparked a renewed awareness of the Black Lives Matter Movement, was defaced last summer.
This year’s exhibition comes as Dundee city councils’s response to issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement after it sparked the creation of a Black History Working Group.
The group aims to explore different approaches and perspective on black culture, along with its relationship to Dundee today.
Later, the group hope to create a permanent display in the McManus Galleries which will explore the city’s involvement in slavery.