Even after his passing, David Bowie is still helping to change the world.
For the past six years, a touring exhibition named ‘David Bowie is’ has been celebrating the work of the legendary singer/songwriter. Running through the final years of his life and continuing on past his death in 2016, it takes a look back at his career, his eccentric style and offers an unprecedented look at items from the archives. Now, though, that exhibition has come to an end, but it will live on virtually with the help of VR and AR.
The official David Bowie is website confirms that a digital recreation of the exhibition is coming to AR-compatible smartphones this fall, developed by Sony Music Entertainment in collaboration with the David Bowie Archive, Planeta, and V&A.
Following the AR release, a VR version of the experience will debut in spring 2019. The digital versions promise to bring “add unprecedented depth and intimacy” to the experience. You’ll discover audio-visual spaces and interact with faithfully recreated 3D scans of objects from Bowie’s history. You’ll even be able to try on some of the artist’s iconic outfits worn over the years. Now there’s a filter Snapchat must be jealous of.
The VR portion of the experience will come to all major VR headsets, though specifics haven’t been confirmed. It will be a premium app, but a portion of the profits will go towards the V&A and the Brooklyn Museum.
This sounds like the perfect way to celebrate not just the work of the exhibition but also the larger life of an extraordinary man, and could set the standard for maintaining touring exhibitions long after their lifespan going forward.
