Good news for David Bowie fans: London’s Victoria and Albert Museum has acquired the British rock star’s archive and is exhibiting the acquisition in 2025 at a new location in East London. The Bowie Museum will offer an unprecedented look at the singer’s life, work and legacy.
The collection acquired by the V&A Museum includes over 80,000 letters, lyrics, photographs, stage designs, music awards and costumes. Also included are many of the musician’s instruments, including the stylophone he played in his breakthrough solo. Space innovation Since 1969.
There was already an exhibition about Bowie at the V&A Museum in 2013. It’s getting an update now. “It’s a wonderful gift,” said senior curator Kate Bailey, who worked on the exhibition in 2013. David Bowie…cooperated. The archive traces Bowie’s entire career and includes precious material from his early days in the 1960s to his 24th studio album. next day.’
Highlights
The exhibition will highlight the artist’s work through personal insights, handwritten texts and conversations with other singers from the archive.
Photo: Getty
Another highlight of the collection was the costumes of Bowie’s replacement Ziggy Stardust, designed by Freddie Buretti in 1972. And Bowie wore a Union Jack coat by British designer Alexander McQueen on the album cover. Earthly will be visible.
Additionally, the collection includes Brian Eno’s EMS synthesizer used on Bowie albums. Low And Heroes 1977 and examples of his ‘cut-up’ technique of lyric writing, literally cutting up existing lyrics to create new meanings from rearranged parts.
10 million pounds
The purchase of the museum and establishment of the Bowie Center was made possible by a £10 million donation from the David Bowie Estate and Blavatnik Family Trust and Warner Music Group.
In a press release, a spokesperson for Bowie’s legacy said: “Now that David Bowie’s life’s work is part of the UK’s National Collection, he will take his rightful place among many cultural icons and artistic geniuses.”
From 2025, the collection will be on view at the new ‘David Bowie Art Study Centre’ in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
