NEoN 2019: Dundee's Digital Arts Festival

A look ahead to this year's North East of North – aka NEoN – ahead of the Dundee arts festival

Feature by Peter Simpson | 02 Oct 2019

November brings with it the eleventh edition of North East of North (aka NEoN). The Dundee festival brings together artists, researchers and curators from across the digital arts, collaborating with galleries, universities and institutions around the city. NEoN's programme includes a host of exhibitions, workshops, performances and discussions, and aims to connect artists, academics and audiences together to explore our physical and digital worlds.

We've had a rummage around in this year's NEoN programme, and picked out five pieces to keep an eye on ahead of this year's festival...

Utopia Generator 1.1

Julia Schicker's new work uses deepfake technology to, quite literally, put words in people's mouths. In this case, Swiss climate sceptic Roger Köppel offers his explanation of the urgency of tackling manmade climate change in a piece that tackles issues of propaganda, spin, and how our society functions when you can't believe a word coming out of anyone's mouth (or whether those are their real mouths to begin with). Wellgate Shopping Centre, Level 1, 4-10 Nov, 10am-4pm, free

Re:make / Re:sist

The NEoN 2019 group exhibition features work by Igor Vamos, presenting their Barbie Liberation Organization project in which the voice boxes in Barbie and GI Joe dolls were swapped to challenge the gender norms presented; Tina Keane, whose film work recognises women’s historical struggle against nuclear weapons; and Addie Wagenknecht, whose Liberator Vases are made up of 3D prints of the Liberator, the world's first open-source, 3D-printable handgun. Wellgate Shopping Centre, Level 1, Space 2, 4-13 Nov, 10am-4pm, free

Genetic Automata, and Sensor

Artist-run space GENERATORprojects hosts new work by Larry Achiampong and David Blandy, plus a response by Dundee-based artist Toby Jackson. Achiampong & Blandy’s Genetic Automata looks at issues of race and identity in the context of online avatars and gaming platforms. Jackson's contribution comes in the form of live digital installations challenging the ways in which our spaces and realities can be digitally manipulated. GENERATORprojects, 25/26 Mid Wynd Industrial Estate, 2-17 Nov (Thu-Sun), 12-5pm

The (Not) Listening Project

A new podcast from documentary filmmaker (and Skinny contributor) Sam Gonçalves, (Not) Listening draws on this year's NEoN theme of 'REACT'. Over its episodes, the podcast will highlight stories which people have "always wanted to say but rarely found the opportunity". First episode out on 7 Oct

Capitalism Works For Me! True/False

Cash rules everything around us, but should it? That's the question at the heart of the 20-foot-long outdoor artwork by American activist artist Steve Lambert. Capitalism Works for Me – True or False is an illuminated scoreboard that invites passers-by to cast their votes on the system, regardless of their position in its machinery, and to start a dialogue about new visions for the future. Steeple Church, Nethergate, 4-10 Nov, 10am-4pm, free

This year's NEoN also features a live set from Field Music at NEoN at Night, a selection of workshops and talks, a poster exhibition and an immersive screening of Blade Runner at V&A Dundee. Find the full programme at northeastofnorth.com