The Financial Times takes readers inside the V&A East Storehouse, where curators, artists, and public figures wander through the vast collection and select their favorite hidden gems, ranging from unexpected design treasures to personal objects rarely seen by the public. Their picks offer a behind-the-scenes look at how this model is changing the way people interact with a museum's holdings. The article also highlights the David Bowie Archive, an extraordinary collection of more than 90,000 items from the artist's life, acquired through the David Bowie Estate with major support from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group.
Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “One of the greatest performers, musicians, artists and innovators of all time, David Bowie’s impact continues to reverberate nearly a decade after his death – while his influence on design and visual culture and his inspiration on creatives today is unmatched. We are thrilled to care for Bowie’s incredible archive, revealing new insights into his creativity and legacy, and open it up for everyone at V&A East Storehouse, in dialogue with the V&A’s collection spanning 5,000 years of art, design, and performance. My deepest thanks go to the David Bowie Estate, Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group – without their extreme generosity, this wouldn’t have been possible.” Sir Leonard Blavatnik, founder of the Blavatnik Family Foundation, said: “We’re proud to support the David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse, honouring a timeless cultural icon.”
The V&A shared details of sites and exhibitions opening as part of its upcoming programme for 2025. On 13 September 2025, V&A East Storehouse will open The David Bowie Centre, the new home of David Bowie’s Archive, recently acquired by the V&A through the generosity of the David Bowie Estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group.
It comes after the V&A announced it had secured the archive last year, with the support of the singer’s estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group. The David Bowie Centre will open at the museum’s East Storehouse in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on September 13 2025, featuring more than 90,000 items from throughout the late music icon’s career.
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
