Suit used for the Ziggy Stardust tour. Courtesy of the David Bowie Archive (c) Victoria and Albert Museum.
David Bowie made no secret of his love for New York; he was known for frequenting the Strand and sneaking into movies at the Angelika, spending his final years enjoying all that the city has to offer. Several upcoming events around town will pay tribute to the late, great Starman, who died after a battle with cancer in January 2016. Whether it’s through a gallery exhibition of behind-the-scenes photos from Bowie’s prime, or a themed dance party in Brooklyn, there’s no shortage of ways to show your love and appreciation for Bowie this month. Hang on to yourself.
A Bowie photograph exhibition will open at the Morrison Hotel Gallery in Soho this Friday, February 23, featuring “photographs from some of his most iconic personas,” according to the gallery’s website. The exhibition aims to be a celebration of both Bowie and the various photographers who captured him on film. Included in the showing are works from Duffy, famous for his electrifying portrait of Bowie on the “Aladdin Sane” album cover; Masayoshi Sukita, responsible for the Heroes album cover; and Mick Rock, among others. The exhibition is free and will be on view during regular gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
If you’d rather put on your red shoes and dance the blues, a DJ set and dance party this Friday at Williamsburg’s National Sawdust should do the trick. DJ/VJ duo the Hogstad brothers will pay tribute to Bowie and the artists he influenced with a night of music and boogieing; themed dancers and interactive visuals are also a part of the special evening, appropriately titled “National Stardust.” Tickets to this Starman soirée are $20; the event begins at 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23.
After making stops in London and Chicago, the Victoria & Albert museum’s all-encompassing exhibit “David Bowie Is” makes its final stop at the Brooklyn Museum this year. The exhibit, which opens March 2 and runs through July 15, features “approximately 400 objects drawn primarily from the David Bowie Archive,” according to the Brooklyn Museum’s website. Original costumes, handwritten lyrics, original album art, photographs and more will all be on display, with plenty of music and video clips as well. More information is available on the museum’s site.
Although it’s been two years since his untimely death, Bowie’s influence is still felt in the city, now more than ever. If these events are any indication, the Starman’s memory lives on, even if he’s left us for another planet.