The Brooklyn Museum is the final stop on the world tour of “David Bowie is”
BROOKLYN, NY.- The Brooklyn Museum is the final stop on the world tour of the critically acclaimed exhibition David Bowie is, organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The exhibition is the first retrospective of the extraordinary fivedecade career of David Bowie—one of the most pioneering and influential performers of modern times. Curated by Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh from the Department of Theatre and Performance at the V&A, David Bowie is explores the creative process of an artist whose sustained reinventions, innovative collaborations, and bold characterizations revolutionized the way we see music, inspired people to shape their own identities while also challenging social traditions. On view from March 2 to July 15, 2018, David Bowie is will include never-before-seen objects and work exclusive to the Brooklyn Museum presentation.
As the official audio partner of the exhibition, Sennheiser will be delivering a captivating audio experience through its AMBEO® 3D audio technology. Also, as in prior David Bowie is exhibitions around the world, the company’s technologies will be used for all audio elements throughout the exhibition— including its wireless systems, headphones and Neumann loudspeakers. The advanced sound technology, alongside theatrical scene–setting, animation and video, provide an immersive journey through the artistic influences that Bowie cited as formative. With unprecedented access to his personal archive, David Bowie is features more than 300 objects collected from his teenage years through his death in 2016— including handwritten lyrics, original costumes, photography, set designs, album artwork, and rare performance material.
“Since David Bowie is left the V&A, London in August 2013, nearly 1.8 million visitors have flocked to see the exhibition as it has travelled around the world, a testament to Bowie’s depth, breadth and worldwide reach and the public’s interest in the processes of creation behind such a uniquely influential performer. Bowie himself left England in 1974 to eventually settle in America, so we could not be more delighted that the final leg of the tour brings the show back to New York, where Bowie made his home,” Victoria Broackes, Curator, V&A.
“With mainstream appeal and yet an avant-garde heart, David Bowie was one of the most original artists of our times. He challenged the status quo and continually took us on new musical explorations with his forwardthinking and groundbreaking presentations. David Bowie continues to be the apex for many artists in wideranging disciplines,” said Matthew Yokobosky, Director of Exhibition Design, Brooklyn Museum.
The exhibition explores the broad range of Bowie’s collaborations with artists and designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theater, art, and film. On display are more than 60 stage costumes including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti, Kansai Yamamoto’s flamboyant creations for the Aladdin Sane tour (1973), and the Union Jack coat designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the EART HL I NG album cover (1997). Also on show is photography by Brian Duffy, Terry O’Neill, and Masayoshi Sukita; album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell; cover proofs by Barnbrook for the album The Next Day (2013); visual excerpts from films and live performances including The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and Saturday Night Live (1979); music videos such as Boys Keep Swinging (1979) and Let’s Dance (1983); and set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour (1974).
Alongside these are more personal items such as never-before-shown storyboards, handwritten set lists and lyrics as well as some of Bowie’s own sketches, musical scores, and diary entries, revealing the evolution of his creative ideas.
“Music is a cultural force for good and I can think of few better examples than David Bowie as someone who has genuinely made the world a better and more interesting place through his unique talents in music, art and fashion,” said Troy Carter, Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify. “We are honored to partner with the Brooklyn Museum on this exhibition to celebrate the life of this great man.”
For More information on the exhibit that will run March 2 to July 15, 2018, visit www.brooklynmuseum.org.
