David Bowie has, arguably, been one of the most successful and talented musical artists in human history. Few creators can claim that, and fewer had successful albums released in six consecutive decades. A large part of the charm and appeal of Bowie’s work was how he twisted and changed over time, reinventing himself — as characters — with new releases. While a lot of people talk about Ziggy Stardust’s time, or the massive shift that came with Low, Aladdin Sane is easily one of the most important transformations, and The Southbank Centre has been celebrating that, and Brian Duffy’s lightning portrait that made up the front cover, with their Aladdin Sane: 50 Years celebration installation.
Spread out through several of the downstairs rooms in The Southbank Centre, the Aladdin Sane: 50 Years celebration is made up of a vast collection of photography, anecdotes and even mementos that are attached to the album. A section of it leans heavily on the work of Brian Duffy, an important Vogue alum who worked with Bowie for five sessions. The Duffy section feels much more like a traditional art exhibition, with plenty of information (and shoots) from his work and background. It made for an interesting mid-point after the first room, which covered some of the recent music industry history and world events that were still swirling around back in 1972.
There was an incredible selection of album covers and shoots and adaptations of the renowned album cover, including wider shots, shoots of Bowie’s backing band (Spiders from Mars) and negative/filter shots of the cover.
My favourite part of it all though was the quotes and newspaper clippings that circulated around the time of the album release, and that of the singles that made up the album. The careful selection, as well as the music that played through the exhibition, really felt like you were back there in that moment in time, even if some of the pieces did feel a little bit surplus.
We had a great time at the event, which took us about half an hour to get through. While it’s not a full day out, it only costs £5 for entry, and The Southbank Center is local to some great places to eat and explore, so it can easily form the core of a wider explore of that part of the city.
The Southbank Center Aladdin Sane: 50 Years installation runs until the 28th of May 2023.
You can check our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up to!
This would be so cool to see! I love Bowie too! To read the newspaper clippings from that time would be fascinating 🙂
Maybe it’s not a full day, but it’s definitely an excellent part of a day out. It sounds fantastic.
Oh wow this sounds so amazing.I am a massive Bowie fan so need to check it out.
oh wow! I would never miss an exhibition like this one, just amazing…I am so glad you had so much fun.
As a big fan of David Bowie, I always enjoy reading reviews and retrospectives of his work, and your post didn’t disappoint! It’s amazing to think about how groundbreaking and influential this album was when it was first released, and how it continues to resonate with fans today. Your insights and analysis really helped me appreciate the album in a new way.
This looks like a cool installation. David Bowie was one of the greatest and coolest icons. It looks like a great tribute.
Aladdin Sane 50 Years celebration event looks interesting. Can be a learning experience as well.
This looks like a very cool exhibition for Bowie fans. I shall tell some of my friends about this as £5 is a very reasonable entrance price.
What a neat exhibit. I like the theme and it would be fun to check this out with my daughter.
I love David Bowie and all the artwork he produced as well. That’s something I really miss about records today, the cover art is such a lost treasure in this digital age. It’s so cool to take a step back in time and look at all those decades of art in one place. Looks like you had a great time!
Your analysis of the 50th anniversary of David Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane” is a refreshing take on the iconic album. Your attention to detail and insightful commentary showcase a deep understanding of the album’s significance. I enjoyed reading your piece and look forward to more content from you.
Wow! This looks absolutely amazing. I’d give anything to see this. Thanks for the many pictures you’ve shared.
Bowie is a pretty amazing artist. This must have been really interesting to go and see the exhibit. It sounds like there were a wide range of items featured within the exhibit. The entry fee is very reasonable!!
This looks really cool and I would so go and see this myself if I was close! Love it and love ideas for getting out for a day…strolling through a place like this is ideal!
It looks like a great event. I like to visit such events too. I would love to visit
Wow! This is so interesting! I would love to visit!
I love the Southbank Centre, they always have the best events! This sounds fun for our next visit.