The UPF Barcelona School of Management, which is the graduate school of Pompeu Fabra University, has come together with the international touring exhibition entitled David Bowie is by means of this dialogue between the academic knowledge of its professors and the experiences of some of Bowie’s best-known collaborators, with the purpose of exchanging and inspiring thought. In the collective imaginary of multiple generations, David Bowie embodied concepts that are very attractive subjects for analysis from an academic perspective. The ability to question the status quo, the multi-disciplinary approach, the creativity, determination, authenticity, experimentation, freedom… All of these are skills and abilities that should come into play in any educational process and professional trajectory. Other constants seen throughout Bowie’s career include his collaboration with artists of all types, his ongoing process of self-learning, his search for a unique and improved version of himself, and the non-linear nature of his artistic path. These are all aspects that remain relevant today, when in our increasingly digitized era, any qualities related to the ability to confront change have become highly significant.
Bowie offers us many facets worth discussing in a university setting. The ability of an artist to become an icon for multiple generations, to rise up from his own ashes as an artist – once, twice, and then again and again – to understand the magnitude of his curiosity, his creative process, to enjoy the lyrics heard in his songs, his music, his experimentation in the field of the visual arts, in fashion, in communication, and even in finance. Bowie can be used as a perfect example, perhaps the ultimate example, for understanding how culture can be popularized through the music business, how music can become art and how a musician can become an artist, but Bowie is also much more. This is the reason behind the excellent title given to this international retrospective, David Bowie is. We will learn a little more about the opinions of experts, friends, and academics regarding this icon of pop during the upcoming lectures that will take place at the UPF Barcelona School of Management and at the Disseny Hub Barcelona beginning on May 29th.
