Last weekend, I recharged my creative batteries by immersing myself in the fantastic world of David Bowie's creations at the Bowie Exhibition hosted this summer at the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin. Such a kaleidoscopic display of art and Rock 'n' Roll refreshed my personal vision and got me thinking about how I initially got into Bowie's music and art, which has been a recurrent source of inspiration throughout my life.
The Bowie-bition: Perfect way to spend a Saturday Afternoon.
It all started during the summer of 2006, when I experienced living on my own for the first time. It was only for two months (I was doing an internship at a Genetics Lab near Mexico City), but it was fun to suddenly find myself outside my family's home. I had a new city to explore, I could go to the supermarket and buy whatever I wanted, go out and stay up as late as I wanted, and experience the sweet freedom of having my own space. That was the summer when I became a David Bowie fan.
Before that, I didn't know much about Bowie. Sure, I knew who he was and was familiar with some of his most iconic looks as well as some of his songs. My dad, as a die-hard Queen fan, would often play Under Pressure at a rather loud volume while he worked around the house on the weekends. I also recognised Bowie from his performance as the charming and enigmatic Goblin King in Labyrinth, one of my favorite childhood movies.
I think all of us, slightly weird girls, fell under the charm of the eccentric Jareth, the Gobling King.
I surely learned a lot about male anatomy watching that film...
However, on my 20th birthday I had my first Bowie-immersive experience. My best friend and I spent a very fun weekend together, culminating with us watching the DVD version of David Bowie's 50th Birthday Concert. I was marvelled by it. That man on stage, his charisma, energy and passion; it was one of the most entertaining, exciting and inspiring show's I've ever seen.
David Bowie celebrating his 50th Birthday in the way he likes the most: throwing the most amazing show in David Bowie and Friends: A Very Special Birthday Concert.
The next monday at the lab, I was telling all about it to a fellow student, when one of the associate researchers —a rather eccentric Belgian guy— overheard me and asked me, all wide-eyed and excited: Are you a David Bowie fan?
- Well, I liked the songs I heard in the concert, but don't know his music in depth...- Don't worry, tomorrow I'll bring some CDs for you to listen so you can have more Bowie music!- OK, cool!
As he turned around and left the room, my fellow student said to me: If I was you, I wouldn't count on that, I'm pretty sure he will forget about it... But, lo and behold! Next day when I arrived at the lab, the first thing I saw was a half-a-meter-high pile of original David Bowie CDs, neatly stacked on my desk. He told me to take my time to go through them, and give them back when I was finished. Needless to say, Bowie's music filled my summer days that year. It was the soundtrack of my newly acquired freedom, and my companion during my moments of solitude.
The music that speaks to you can change your life forever.
David Bowie has also been a silent but ever-present companion during my time in Berlin. Back in the seventies, this city was both the backdrop and the catalyser for his reinvention, his Phoenix-like re-emergence as an artist and a person. Here he found the creative nourishment, the freedom and the inspiration to unlock great new concepts and soulful music. There are reminders of his days here scattered through the city —his old flat, the Hansa Studios, the bar where Iggy and him used to hang out—and many of us look for them in some sort of rock/spiritual pilgrimage, even though Bowie's Berlin was radically different from the city that we got to know in our own Berlin years. We want a taste of that same feeling of revolutionary freedom, that exhilarating sense of being on the verge of something new and great, a turning point that will transform us into the best version of ourselves we could possibly be.
Who else, but Bowie, could inspire entire generations to go on their own quest for the extraordinary and wonderful?
Stay tuned for Part II, with all about the inspiration behind Bowie's style, art and music, and how it might inspire you as well!
Thank you for reading,
