Concepts, relationships and impulses as diverse as Bowie’s career frame the exhibition; there is no overarching schema or straightforward narrative organizing the show. For example, some sections, such as “Stage and Screen,” focus on a particular medium. This portion of the exhibition includes clips of Bowie’s work on film, such as his haunting turn in Nicholas Roeg’s renowned The Man Who Fell to Earth. It also features ephemera from the icon’s theater work, such as The Elephant Man, along with interpretive texts and materials expounding on Bowie’s acting techniques and his history with performance.
Other sections contextualize Bowie’s working methods, influences, and collaborations to demonstrate the breadth of his work. The exhibition takes a deep dive into Bowie’s processes, and sections on songwriting and recording are rich with archival documents that reveal a master at work. While walking through this section, snippets of interviews play on the headsets distributed upon entry, immersing visitors in Bowie’s own words.