I will start my review of the David Bowie Exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario by taking full responsibility for leaving it to the last minute to pick up my ticket, on the last day of the exhibit (which was then extended two more days to accommodate the huge demand). Perhaps going mid-week at 8:30pm was not the best choice in terms of crowd navigation, but my problems with the exhibit, which made its first North American stop in Toronto after a run at the Victoria & Albert Museum, went much deeper than just feeling squeezed by the volume of visitors to the gallery.
There were plenty of great things to enjoy: Bowie was a great hoarder, and it made for a very detailed collection from his personal archives. There were costumes, sheet music, and photographs that spanned five decades, and I enjoyed the feast of vision and sound. The personal audio guide worked on a GPS system which was activated by one’s proximity to a particular section. The videos and film clips from his acting career were fascinating, as were his influences and segments from his early days. My favourite part was his creation of “The Society for the Protection of Long-Haired Boys.”
Despite receiving a timed ticket, we ended up in two separate waiting lines instead of being able to go right through. As well, the space seemed poorly designed in many instances, causing traffic jams and bottlenecks in certain areas. I think the gallery oversold its tickets, resulting in huge crowds that made moving around awkward and at times difficult. The set-up was not conducive to the large group of visitors: video screens were in the centre of certain displays, and people stood and watched the footage for four to five minutes, effectively blocking the artifacts and the write-ups for all of them. It was frustrating and time-consuming to wait for the film clips to end before I could read certain explanations of costumes and stage designs.
The crowds added to the mayhem by being largely oblivious to those around them. As a result of the awkward flow, I missed seeing Bowie’s “golden coke spoon”, which I would have found amusing. I was disappointed that I didn’t find anything about the collaboration with Queen, and wondered whether it was not included or whether I missed it in the clutter of visitors. It would be fair to say that the exhibit was very good but that the experience was not. I wish I had initially gone in September, and then made the effort to return for the things I missed or glossed over.