A typical stop of the exhibit included around 500 objects, including over 60 performance costumes, handwritten lyrics, and Bowie's own oil paintings.
The exhibition was organized thematically rather than chronologically.
It included outfits designed by Alexander McQueen, Hedi Slimane, Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood and Kansai Yamamoto.
There were over 50 video pieces, including television performances, music videos and concert footage.
Music journalist Dan Hyman wrote in Rolling Stone of the Chicago exhibition that the retrospective taught him five things about Bowie; Namely that Bowie was "... a Fantastic Painter and Illustrator…", "…an Avid Collector of Minutiae…", "…a Style Icon…", "…a Tech Geek at Heart…", and "…an Unflinching Self-Editor…".

Some museums included items unique to their country or city, reflecting Bowie's connection to the area.
For example, in New York, where Bowie lived, Brooklyn Museum's Matthew Yokobosky said "We have the original backdrop from when he performed in "The Elephant Man" on Broadway, and moments from when he worked on Julian Schnabel’s film Basquiat, on the life of New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. …
While most of the Young Americans album was recorded in Philadelphia, "Fame" was actually recorded in New York City.
That's how John Lennon just happened to stop by the studio that day.
He [Lennon] actually did a drawing for David in the studio and I have that drawing in the show."
Yokobosky also spoke about how and why they got the letters "BOWIE" for the exhibit: “The first time I met with Bowie’s archivist at the archive, I looked down one of the aisles and saw a photograph of the letter W resting on a case.
I asked what it was, and the archivist told me that it corresponded to one of the letters from Bowie’s New York marathon tour in 2002, when he played five theaters in five boroughs of the city in five days—and every night they moved these brilliant letters which spelled out his name in light bulbs.
Well, I saw that tour in the Beacon Theater, and I just blurted out, ‘I want the letters.’
They hadn't been seen since that tour, and we spent two months trying to figure out how to get them to work again."

While in Berlin at the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, the exhibition added pieces from Bowie's time in West Berlin, his collaborations with Iggy Pop, and his Berlin Trilogy: Low (1977), "Heroes" (1977), and Lodger (1979).

When David Bowie Is opened in Tokyo, pieces from Japanese collaborator Kansai Yamamoto were highlighted, having designed costumes during Bowie's Ziggy Stardust (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973) periods.

Scottish artist Paul Robertson contributed "The Periodic Table of Bowie" to the exhibition, a faux-periodic table of artists that have influenced, or were influenced by, Bowie over his career.

The final stop of David Bowie Is at the Brooklyn Museum (2 March to 15 July 2018) saw the release of the album Live In Berlin (1978), as well as a 7″ single containing the US single edit of 'Time'/'The Prettiest Star'.
There was also the red vinyl version of iSelect, a 12 song compilation, which had first been made available in this format at the Paris exhibition.
Live In Berlin was recorded on 16 May 1978 at the Deutschlandhalle in West Berlin during Bowie’s Isolar II Tour.
A typical stop of the exhibit included around 500 objects, including over 60 performance costumes, handwritten lyrics, and Bowie's own oil paintings. The exhibition was organized thematically rather than chronologically. It included outfits designed by Alexander McQueen, Hedi Slimane, Issey Miyake, Vivienne Westwood and Kansai Yamamoto. There were over 50 video pieces, including television performances, music videos and concert footage. Music journalist Dan Hyman wrote in Rolling Stone of the Chicago exhibition that the retrospective taught him five things about Bowie; Namely that Bowie was "... a Fantastic Painter and Illustrator…", "…an Avid Collector of Minutiae…", "…a Style Icon…", "…a Tech Geek at Heart…", and "…an Unflinching Self-Editor…".
Some museums included items unique to their country or city, reflecting Bowie's connection to the area. For example, in New York, where Bowie lived, Brooklyn Museum's Matthew Yokobosky said "We have the original backdrop from when he performed in "The Elephant Man" on Broadway, and moments from when he worked on Julian Schnabel’s film Basquiat, on the life of New York artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. … While most of the Young Americans album was recorded in Philadelphia, "Fame" was actually recorded in New York City. That's how John Lennon just happened to stop by the studio that day. He [Lennon] actually did a drawing for David in the studio and I have that drawing in the show." Yokobosky also spoke about how and why they got the letters "BOWIE" for the exhibit: “The first time I met with Bowie’s archivist at the archive, I looked down one of the aisles and saw a photograph of the letter W resting on a case. I asked what it was, and the archivist told me that it corresponded to one of the letters from Bowie’s New York marathon tour in 2002, when he played five theaters in five boroughs of the city in five days—and every night they moved these brilliant letters which spelled out his name in light bulbs. Well, I saw that tour in the Beacon Theater, and I just blurted out, ‘I want the letters.’ They hadn't been seen since that tour, and we spent two months trying to figure out how to get them to work again."
While in Berlin at the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum, the exhibition added pieces from Bowie's time in West Berlin, his collaborations with Iggy Pop, and his Berlin Trilogy: Low (1977), "Heroes" (1977), and Lodger (1979).
When David Bowie Is opened in Tokyo, pieces from Japanese collaborator Kansai Yamamoto were highlighted, having designed costumes during Bowie's Ziggy Stardust (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973) periods.
Scottish artist Paul Robertson contributed "The Periodic Table of Bowie" to the exhibition, a faux-periodic table of artists that have influenced, or were influenced by, Bowie over his career.
The final stop of David Bowie Is at the Brooklyn Museum (2 March to 15 July 2018) saw the release of the album Live In Berlin (1978), as well as a 7″ single containing the US single edit of 'Time'/'The Prettiest Star'. There was also the red vinyl version of iSelect, a 12 song compilation, which had first been made available in this format at the Paris exhibition. Live In Berlin was recorded on 16 May 1978 at the Deutschlandhalle in West Berlin during Bowie’s Isolar II Tour.
David Bowie Is