David Bowie is... Exhibit Review

The “David Bowie is” exhibit transforms the life of a music legend into a display of colorful
artistry set to the backdrop of the singers greatest hit music at the Brooklyn Museum. The Bowie
exhibit is unique in its style serving as a tribute to David Bowie and his diverse music.

The Brooklyn Museum is the last stop on the” David Bowie is” exhibition tour. It started about
five years ago in London and has been in selected cities including Barcelona. New York is a
fitting place for the final or maybe final city of the tour since Bowie, a London native, spent many
hours performing and lived in New York City when he died in 2016.

Walking into “David Bowie is” compares to walking into a rock concert. There’s crowds of fans
young and old mixed with those who know little about the singer but are curious about is life.
There’s people walking around, some glued to one stage of memorabilia or video and others
sitting with legs folded watching video displays and taking in all of the color and wonder in the
multiple rooms taking up thousands of square feet to create the “Bowie is” experience.

Upon entry with a special ticket, the museum staff immediately hands you a pair of headphones
and a controller set to sync up with almost every display in the exhibit set to a background of
orange painted walls with accented white walls. Like Bowie, the exhibit is focused on innovation
and gives the visitor a chance to enjoy his music and interviews for most of the experience.

There’s Bowie memorabilia and costumes everywhere including black platform shoes, pastel
blazers and original records from his collection of 25 studio albums released during his lifetime.

I must admit that I didn’t know much about Bowie. except his superstar fame and marriage to
supermodel Iman. After reading Bowie’s hand written notes and looking at his musical
inspiration, you notice that Bowie loved culture and diversity. His influences were musicians of
color. His collaborations included a long lists of artists including Bill Withers, Luther Vandross,
Tina Turner and Queen Latifah.

Among the most fascinating things to see at “Bowie is” the background and memorabilia from
the hit song Space Oddity, including the inspiration behind the character written for the song,
Major Tom the astronaut.

In case anyone forgot about Bowie’s acting career, there’s clips of his movies including The
Man Who Fell to Earth released in 1976. Regardless of stage or screen, the Bowie costumes
are amazing to see. The costume ideas look inspired from broadway and stage theatrics.
Pieces from his collection are displayed with mannequins are displayed throughout the exhibit.

I would definitely recommend seeing this exhibit but take a break from the headphones
sometimes to read the information displayed carefully. There’s fascinating information about
Bowie and his creative process that can be missed if you’re too distracted.

If you’re planning on visiting “Bowie is” make sure you get there early, entry is only allowed once
each hour, per group of people waiting to visit. The special exhibition is taking place now
through July 15, 2018 at the Brooklyn museum. Find out more details at BrooklynMuseum.org