Symposium | The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie | ACMI

Album cover shoot for Aladdin Sane, 1973. Photograph by Brian Duffy.

Album cover shoot for Aladdin Sane, 1973. Photograph by Brian Duffy.

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) will host a two-day symposium bringing together artists, academics and cultural commentators, in conversation and performance, to reflect upon the cultural and artistic significance of ‘David Bowie’ in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance. Coinciding with the exclusive Australasian season of the David Bowie is exhibition at ACMI, The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie, will take place on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July 2015.

The symposium brings together a range of international and local scholars and performers with keynote speakers including Dr Will Brooker, Professor of Film and Cultural Studies at Kingston University; Robert Forster, the Australian singer-songwriter best known for his work as a co-founder and songwriter of The Go-Betweens; Angela Ndalianis, Head of Screen and Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne; Sean Redmond and Toija Cinque, Deakin University; and Dr Kathryn Johnson, assistant curator of David Bowie is and Director’s Researcher, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Sessions explore a range of topics from Bowie’s performative history in theatre, film and mime, to the poetic standards of his lyrics, cultural eras and influences, as well as his collaborations and covers, and the evolution of his public image. A series of talks examine Bowie’s ‘transgressions’ of sexuality, race and class, his iconic character creations, and the appropriation of science fiction and a heightened fascination with space. Dr Shaun Cole of the London College of Fashion examines the role of fashion as a powerful tool for Bowie in communicating his individuality, defiance, creativity and theatricality.
 
The program also includes performances by lyric tenor Marco Cinque with composer David Kram and The Thin White Ukes. Melbourne musician Jesse Fultone will perform a deconstructive mashup of Bowie tracks in collaboration with media artist Andrea Rassell and motion designer Simon Burgin. Brisbane artist Tanya Stark will create a contemporary labyrinthine walk of sound and vision and Melbourne artist Jamie O’Connell will develope a work to track data from online auctions of David Bowie Memorabilia, producing a physical archive of the movements of Bowie memorabilia, relics and related commodities.
Download the program ACMI Bowie Symposium Program
The exhibition David Bowie is, from London’s V&A, will be showing at ACMI as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces from 16 July to 1 November 2015.
Date: Friday 17 & Saturday 18 July 2015, 8.30am to 6.00pm
Venue: Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne
Tickets: Full $150, Concession $120, Member $110 Symposium Dinner $50
Tickets for the two-day symposium include all sessions, lunch each day, and drinks on each evening at David Bowie Late Nights program. Tickets do not include entry to the exhibition.
Book at acmi.net.au/bowie or call 03 8663 2583.