David Bowie Centre : The living archive of an eternal chameleon

In London, the Victoria and Albert Museum unveils a permanent space entirely devoted to David Bowie. Housed in the brand-new Storehouse, nearly 90,000 items from the singer’s personal archives trace, with astonishing precision, the journey of an artist who never ceased to reinvent himself. A full immersion into the world of a truly extraordinary creator.

Photos : David Bowie Centre/V&A/DR

A museum for a man who refused to be defined

David Bowie was never an artist to be confined to a single category. Dedicating a museum to him might seem paradoxical. Yet the V&A rises to the challenge: creating a space that is vibrant and ever-evolving, reflecting the man who was, at various times, Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke, or simply Bowie. Since Saturday, September 13, the Storehouse at the Victoria and Albert Museum has welcomed the David Bowie Centre, a permanent venue where visitors can explore the backstage of his life and work.

Photos : David Bowie Centre/V&A/DR

Humble beginnings, tenderly documented

Among the 90,000 preserved items, some are deeply moving. Rejection letters, such as one from Apple Records in 1968, which deemed Bowie “unsuitable” for its expectations. Or a heartfelt letter from his father, Haywood Jones, filled with admiration and sorrow in the face of his son’s early setbacks. These documents reveal a pre-fame Bowie, fragile, determined, and already visionary.

An influence that spans generations

The Centre doesn’t merely recount the past it showcases Bowie’s enduring impact on contemporary artists. A letter from Lady Gaga, visibly emotional, confesses that her entire career was an attempt to capture the attention of her idol. David Bowie, even in absence, continues to inspire, challenge, and guide.

Photos : David Bowie Centre/V&A/DR

Iconic objects and hidden treasures

Of the 90,000 items, only 200 are on permanent display. However, visitors may request access to other objects stored in the archives. Among them: the key to the Berlin apartment he shared with Iggy Pop, unfinished projects like a 1984 adaptation or a musical about 18th-century London. And of course, the legendary costumes, guitars, scores, handwritten notes… Bowie sent everything to his team, with meticulous instructions about each item’s role in his creative universe. Nothing was left to chance.

A space to explore, not just admire

The David Bowie Centre is no mausoleum, it’s a laboratory. Visitors can book a time slot to consult up to five objects of their choice. A way to engage with the archive, to converse with it. Curator Madeleine Haddon emphasizes: « Bowie would have wanted people to use this archive to explore their own creativity. »