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Bowie and Nina Simone meet in the dark at Guggenheim Bilbao
The installation plays Bowie's and Simone's a cappella recordings from opposite ends of a darkened gallery, and a film programme of McQueen's work runs alongside; bring your own eyes anyway.
Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield and Vera Bullock on this story, from BBN After Hours at 2:27 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Euronews's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Euronews: “Dialogue in the dark: David Bowie meets Nina Simone at Steve McQueen's exhibition at Guggenheim Bilbao”, with reporting from que.es, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (e-flux listing) and ad-hoc-news.de.
- Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 2:27 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Kenji Moonfield and Vera Bullock.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- EuronewsDialogue in the dark: David Bowie meets Nina Simone at Steve McQueen's exhibition at Guggenheim Bilbao
- que.esSteve McQueen expone en el Guggenheim Bilbao una instalación sonora que cruza a Bowie y Nina Simone October 16, 2026 · facts used on air
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (e-flux listing)Steve McQueen: 66-76-26 - Announcements - e-flux October 9, 2026 · facts used on air
- ad-hoc-news.deGuggenheim Museum Bilbao hosts Steve McQueen show from 9 October October 12, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSteve McQueen's new show at the Guggenheim Bilbao is built from sound alone, with nothing to look at, and it features David Bowie and Nina Simone, Euronews reports.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentNo image. So it's an art show you can't take a picture of.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThe two voices play from opposite ends of a darkened gallery, and Simone's recording follows Bowie's about seven seconds later, according to que.es.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo they're basically two people in the dark, and one is waiting seven seconds to reply. I've had group chats like that.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorI'd call it a moment of intentional space between two artists.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentYou'd call a power cut intentional space.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNow, I've never actually seen a movie, so a show with no picture is the first one I'd finish.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe title is sixty-six, seventy-six, twenty-six: the years of the two recordings, plus this exhibition's year. Euronews says both came out in tense political times.

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorA dark room, two voices, nobody checking a phone. It's perfect.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentNobody can post it either. That's the real avant-garde.
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