Overview
It's the huge exhibition that took the world by storm, sending David Bowie's lightning bolt-adorned face everywhere from London and Berlin to Tokyo and Melbourne. His Ziggy Stardust costumes, various handwritten lyrics, an assortment of album artwork, rare photographs and even the magic orb he fondled as Jareth in Labyrinth, too. Organised by London's Victoria and Albert Museum, David Bowie is showcased a stunning range of around 400 objects from the David Bowie Archive, visiting 12 cities over six years and attracting more than two million visitors — and while it just finished its final run in Brooklyn, it's coming back in a new virtual format.
In the coming months — autumn in the northern hemisphere, so expect it from September onwards — David Bowie is will exist as a digital recreation that you can access on your phone, as well as via virtual reality platforms. Fans can expect to tour the Bowie bonanza as an augmented reality experience, which will feature a sequence of audio-visual spaces highlighting the work and artifacts from Bowie's life.
It won't just involve looking at 2D representations, either, with 3D scans used to preserve and present the artist's costumes and objects in detail. And while the final details are yet to be revealed, Bowie obsessives might even be able to virtually step into one of his out-of-sight outfits and see themselves in it. If you've ever wanted to become Aladdin Sane, the Jean Genie or just look like a real cool cat, this might be your chance to turn and face the strange — and experience some ch-ch-changes.
A collaboration between Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc, the David Bowie Archive and the V&A, "these new digital versions of David Bowie is will add unprecedented depth and intimacy to the exhibition experience, allowing the viewer to engage with the work of one of the world's most popular and influential artists as never before," according to the exhibition website.
How much it will cost is yet to be announced, but a portion of the profits will be donated the V&A and Brooklyn Museum.
For further information — and to sign up for future updates, head to davidbowieisreal.com.