David Bowie Is

Went kicking and screaming. But loved it. Outlasted wife. Great sensory experience. Highly recommend.

Awesome exhibit! Loved it! The space for the exhibit was open and well used. The audio tour was perfect! Lots of music and I didn’t have to take them on and off during the exhibit!

Bowie Is… amazing. And no, you don’t have to be a fan of Bowie’s or even like his music to enjoy this show. The exhibit takes Bowie’s music as a given and makes the case for Bowie’s status as a conceptual and performance artist of the first rank. It’s the visual aspect of Bowie’s work that is highlighted here, but of course the soundtrack adds immeasurably to the experience. The whole show is accompanied by a seamless soundtrack of Bowie’s music delivered through headphones that know your location and pump out site-​specific sounds depending on exactly where you are standing and what you are looking at. At times, in front of life size dioramas, you feel like you’re at a Bowie concert. Wow.
People tend to travel chronologically through the galleries and through the years, but you also have the option to circle back or linger in place for as long as you like. For some reason, I was mesmerized by the «Ashes to Ashes» video and watched it over and over. Of course the clown costume is right there. But it’s not just this song or that video, but having access to the entire career – and pre-​career – in one place at one time. Original artwork, videos, immersive dioramas, photos, costumes, lyrics, tapes, notes, interviews, album covers, letters, film props, film clips – the full range of Bowie’s creativity is on display.
There are terrific tidbits to be gleaned even before you get to the big ticket items. A designer, taking measurements for a costume, notes Bowie’s waist size in his notebook – 26 ½ inches. Bowie’s kabuki name is He Who Spits Out Words in a Fiery Manner. Then there’s an early film of Bowie’s riveting performance as a mime in white face and ballet tights. Imagine if Bowie had gone that route professionally — we never would have heard a word or sound from him!
Rock on, Davie Jones.