David Bowie’s 1988 passport is one of the items featured in the exhibition
David Bowie’s 1988 passport is one of the items featured in the exhibition
The otherworldly clown costume worn by David Bowie in the groundbreaking video for Ashes to Ashes will be among more than 100 items on display in a new touring exhibition to begin in Dundee later this year.
David Bowie: On Tour, which opens at V&A Dundee on 4 November, includes costumes, instruments and photographs, some of which have never been on public display before.
Memorabilia includes a clapperboard used for The Man Who Fell To Earth, and his first instrument, a Grafton Alto saxophone bought for him by his father in 1961.
Following its debut in Dundee, the two-year exhibition will move to Blackpool, County Durham, Hull, and Bristol.
A number of costumes, including Bowie’s outfit from the Ashes to Ashes video are included
A number of costumes, including Bowie’s outfit from the Ashes to Ashes video are included
The tour comes after the David Bowie Centre opened at the V&A Storehouse in London last September as a home for the archive, featuring a permanent display of artefacts.
The touring exhibition is set across four sections, each offering a “different lens” on the singer, who died in January 2016 aged 69.
David Bowie died in 2016, having had a career spanning five decades
David Bowie died in 2016, having had a career spanning five decades
The opening section, “Bowie Through a Lens”, explores how photography shaped Bowie’s image and identity, including work by Terry O’Neill, Mick Rock, Sukita, and Brian Ward.
The second section, “All the Somebody People” focuses on the musician onstage and in the studio across four defining eras; Ziggy Stardust, the Berlin years, Let’s Dance, and Blackstar.
The third section, “Hooked to the Silver Screen”, features Bowie’s onscreen performances, including music videos, film, TV roles and unexpected cameos.
The final section, “I Can’t Give Everything Away”, explores his “interest in time, documenting his process and legacy”.
This includes the stopwatch he used when songwriting, his 1988 British passport, and post-it note conversations with his archive team about items he chose to retain.
Bowie’s first instrument, a Grafton Alto saxophone, will be displayed in the exhibition
Bowie’s first instrument, a Grafton Alto saxophone, will be displayed in the exhibition
Other exhibits include costumes from the singer’s Ziggy Stardust period designed by Freddie Burretti and Kansai Yamamoto, an acoustic guitar from the same period, and Bowie’s keys from his apartment in Berlin when he was recording the 1977 albums Low and Heroes.
A Kansai Yamamoto-designed costume for Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust is another highlight of the show
A Kansai Yamamoto-designed costume for Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust is another highlight of the show
V&A Dundee director Leonie Bell said she “couldn’t be happier” that the museum was hosting the exhibition.
She said: “David Bowie has always been one of the most-requested cultural figures our audiences have wanted to see celebrated at V&A Dundee.
“He left an indelible impression on the city after bringing the Ziggy Stardust tour to the city’s iconic music venue, Caird Hall, in 1973, following his first Dundee performance in 1966.
“This is a thrilling opportunity for fans to get up close with never-before-seen objects from Bowie’s personal archive and to celebrate his remarkable story and extraordinary creative imagination.”
A number of drawings, including Bowie’s storyboard sketch for the Ashes to Ashes music video are featured
A number of drawings, including Bowie’s storyboard sketch for the Ashes to Ashes music video are featured
The exhibition will run at V&A Dundee from 4 November until 15 February.
It will then move to Showtown in Blackpool from June to September 2027, the Bowes Museum in County Durham from October 2027 to January 2028, the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull from February to May 2028, and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery from June to September 2028.
Further venues are expected to be announced.
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