David Bowie is. Retrospective

The V&A has been given unprecedented access to the David Bowie Archive to curate the first international retrospective of the extraordinary career of David Bowie - one of the most pioneering and influential performers of modern times. David Bowie is will explore the creative processes of Bowie as a musical innovator and cultural icon, tracing his shifting style and sustained reinvention across five decades.

The V&A’s Theatre and Performance curators, Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh have selected more than 300 objects that will be brought together for the very first time. They include handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs, Bowie’s own instruments and album artwork.

The exhibition will explore the broad range of Bowie’s collaborations with artists and designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theatre, art and film. On display will be more than 300 objects including Ziggy Stardust bodysuits (1972) designed by Freddie Burretti, photography by Brian Duffy; album sleeve artwork by Guy Peellaert and Edward Bell; visual excerpts from films and live performances including The Man Who Fell to Earth, music videos such as Boys Keep Swinging and set designs created for the Diamond Dogs tour (1974). Alongside these will be more personal items such as never-before-seen 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.

David Bowie is, is the first international retrospective of the extraordinary career of David Bowie – one of the most pioneering and influential performers of modern times. Over 300 objects including handwritten lyrics, original costumes, photography, set designs, album artwork and rare performance material from the past five decades are brought together from the David Bowie Archive for the very first time. The exhibition demonstrates how Bowie’s work has both influenced and been influenced by wider movements in art, design, theatre and contemporary culture and focusses on his creative processes, shifting style and collaborative work with diverse designers in the fields of fashion, sound, graphics, theatre and film.

The exhibition will tour internationally. Confirmed venues are:

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada from 25 September to 27 November 2013 Museum of Image and Sound, Sao Paulo, Brazil from 28 January to 21 April 2014 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA from September 2014 to January 2015 Philharmonie de Paris/ Cité de la Musique, Paris, France from 2 March to 31 May 2015 Groninger Museum, Groningen, The Netherlands from 15 December 2015 to 15 March 2016

Further international venues will be confirmed soon.

David Bowie is. Retrospective

artists:
David Bowie

other venues:
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto
Museum of Image and Sound, São Paulo
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Philharmonie de Paris/ Cité de la Musique, Paris
Groninger Museum, Groningen
Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin