In 2018, I visited the “David Bowie Is” touring exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, which paid tribute to the life, music, films, tours, and art of David Bowie through the use of artifacts and immersive audio. I love David Bowie’s music and enjoyed getting to view the exhibit in-person, but when I learned that there was an augmented reality app that showcased all of the memorabilia from the exhibit plus additional items, I was even more excited to view the items in a way that I could access with low vision. Here are my thoughts on exploring “David Bowie Is” with augmented reality and low vision.
Setting up David Bowie Is for mobile devices
“David Bowie Is” a mobile application that uses augmented reality to display exhibits, artifacts, and information from the original touring exhibit that can be viewed from anywhere. The app itself costs $9.99 USD and requires iOS 11/Android 7.1 or higher. I tried the app with both my iPad and Android phone, and preferred the larger screen display of the iPad.
To use “David Bowie Is” effectively, I strongly recommend having the following items available:
- Large and blank flat surface, which is used to display exhibit elements in augmented reality by using the device camera for positioning. I recommend using a surface like a desk, floor, or bed for the most comfortable viewing experience, since bringing the screen closer/further away from the face will change how the 3D models are displayed
- Headphones for listening to music and immersive audio, as well as the narration or interview recordings
- Something in the environment that can be used during vision breaks, such as an item on the wall to stare at or an eye cover. While I didn’t have any issues with vertigo from this app specifically, some AR/VR apps can cause dizziness or vertigo if used for long periods of time.
“David Bowie Is” can be used in either a portrait or landscape orientation, though I’ve used landscape screenshots for this post taken with an iPad. To display app content on a larger screen, I recommend connecting the mobile device to a Smart TV or monitor, either using wireless AirPlay/Chromecast tools to share the device screen or cables for connecting to a larger monitor. This is an ideal option for exploring the exhibit with friends!
What David Bowie Is Not: app accessibility information
Before I get into more detail about what “David Bowie Is”, I want to also share what David Bowie “Is Not”, in terms of accessibility features for the app. Screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack, as well as text-to-speech tools are not supported by the app, though there is self-voicing narration throughout recorded by Gary Oldman, who was a close friend of David Bowie.
Another accessibility feature to consider is that there are several instances where video and animations are set to auto-play, with no option for turning this off. I didn’t encounter many videos that had rapidly strobing lights, but I strongly recommend having another person screen the app in advance if this is a concern for the user, as well as interacting with the app in a well-lit space with frequent breaks.
Related links
- David Bowie is on the App Store (apple.com)
- David Bowie is on Google Play
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Headphones
- Avoiding Flashing Lights On Social Media
David Bowie AR exhibit interface
When opening the application for a new session, users are instructed to calibrate the device camera by pointing it towards a flat surface, which is used for positioning the exhibit items. As users move the device around the room, or closer/further away, artifacts change their position and appear closer/further away on the screen.
Within the app itself, there are four white outlined buttons that are always on the bottom of the screen, including:
- Options: Turn narration on/off, Enable reading mode for viewing objects in the center of the screen
- Recalibration: Change the position of artifacts on the screen/Open camera settings
- Map: Select another room (section of the exhibit)
- Next: Open the next room in the list
After the items are calibrated, the default view is the Lobby, which provides a narrated introduction. From there, users can select the next button or use the map to open a specific area of interest.
Exploring David Bowie rooms
With “David Bowie Is”, users can explore the 25 “rooms” that make up the exhibit, each containing over a dozen artifacts around a specific era of Bowie’s career and accompanied by one of his songs playing in the background. Examples of artifacts and items in the digital exhibits include:
- 3D models of costumes
- Music videos and archival footage
- Handwritten lyrics and music
- Sketches for costumes and stage elements
- Artwork
- Album covers and posters
- Tour plans
- Behind-the-scenes photos and videos
Some items change appearance when they are selected, such as Ziggy Stardust’s quilted suit in the “Astronauts of Inner Space” room. Others appear behind photos or videos, which typically show the costume or other items being used by Bowie himself. Turning on the Reading Mode option in the Settings menu makes it easier to view items, as they are presented in the center of the screen.
To examine artifacts or rooms, use the following gestures:
- Single finger tap: Select/Deselect an object
- Two-finger pinch: Zoom in/Zoom out
- Swipe across the screen: Rotate costumes or items
- Hold screen closer/farther from the user: Zoom in/Zoom out on items
- Move the device around the flat surface: Reposition how items are displayed, or “look around” at different items shown in a 360 view
Another option is to open screen magnification software like Zoom to enlarge different details of artifacts or items, which can be helpful for smaller items.
Related links
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: MP3 Players
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
Reading descriptions of items
At the bottom of each artifact, a text-based description is shown that describes the item and how it was used by Bowie in a particular context. Some descriptions can be expanded by swiping up on the text box to read more about an item. Since this app doesn’t support the system font size, I have to use Zoom or another magnification tool to enlarge the text, or listen to the narration provided by Gary Oldman, which often includes the same details as the text description (but not word for word). I prefer the Lens view for screen magnification because I can magnify the portion of the screen with text while still looking at the artifacts.
Besides connecting to an external display, I also enlarged text by using my phone with a visual assistance app or as a video magnifier, holding the phone over my iPad to read text. This isn’t ideal for reading large amounts of text, but for short exhibit labels it worked well enough.
Related links
My favorite parts of “David Bowie Is”
Since I have low vision and factors like visual clutter, movement, and lighting have a significant impact on how well I can see something, I was thrilled to use augmented reality to get an even better view of the items in the “David Bowie Is” exhibit. Some of my favorite items from the different rooms include:
- Viewing the 3D models of costumes with the interesting fabric textures, pattern mixing, and colors. I love learning about David Bowie’s Fashion, both his sense of style and the song itself!
- Lyrics sheets with handwritten lyrics, including outtakes and reading how he structured different songs. I would use a handwriting app on my phone to read unfamiliar text from the iPad as well.
- The entire Songwriting room, and the stories behind the writing/recording processes for different songs
- Ziggy Stardust’s quilted suit, which I had trouble seeing at the in-person exhibit. I had no idea it had such an ornate pattern and I loved reading about the inspiration behind the costume.
- Tour information such as David Bowie’s stage makeup designs and other costumes, which were easy to enlarge and included lots of bright colors
I would love to see more musicians and traveling exhibits create virtual exhibits or spaces with high-resolution models and images of different items. Even better, I would love to find applications that support large print sizes and text-to-speech, as these are essential for curating digital experiences that are inclusive to audiences with visual impairments, inclusive of low vision and blindness.
Related links
- How To Make Virtual Museums Accessible For Visual Impairments
- How To Create Image Descriptions For Red Carpet Looks
- Reading Handwriting With Assistive Technology
Additional resources for accessing David Bowie content with low vision
- While I didn’t encounter many flashing video clips within “David Bowie Is”, I know his concerts definitely contain more flashing content. Learn more about how I watch concert videos without strobe lights in How I Watch Concert Videos Without Strobe Lights
- iHeart Podcasts released an in-depth biography of David Bowie as part of their Off The Record podcast series, which includes transcripts and several bonus episodes. It can be found across multiple podcast distributors, though the transcripts can be found at Off The Record: David Bowie (iheart.com)
- Moonage Daydream (2022) is another production celebrating the life and career of David Bowie, but I haven’t watched it because it has a lot of strobe/flashing lights. It can be streamed with audio description on Amazon Prime in the United States- learn more about audio description in Fast Facts About Audio Description
- Haven’t listened to much of David Bowie’s music? You’re in for a treat! I recommend listening with headphones- I share a list of features to consider when buying headphones in Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Headphones
Published January 9, 2019. Updated September 2024