A glimpse into Pink Floyd’s journey from London’s underground scene to one of the world’s most acclaimed rock groups will go on show this week with an audio-visual exhibition at the V&A Museum.
Their Mortal Remains features objects and stories from the band’s eclectic history, including an oversized recreation of the Bedford van which they travelled in during the 1960s.
Also on show is a massive recreation of The Wall stage set used during the 1980-81 tour, a letter from the BBC requesting an explanation for Syd Barrett walking out of a recording session and a treasure trove of effects pedals and synthesisers.
Visitors to the exhibition will be given a chance to mix their own version of Money (a key track from their classic 1973 album The Dark Side Of The Moon) and will end the chronological journey through the band’s history with a 3D audio recreation of their 2005 Live 8 performance of Comfortably Numb.
Every chapter of the band’s story is covered, including inspirations, collaborators and even a letter penned by David Gilmour to his mother.
The exhibition marks 50 years since the 1967 release of their first album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn and debut single Arnold Layne and comes four years after a similar David Bowie experience appeared at the V&A.
Co-curator of the exhibition Victoria Broackes said she hoped the exhibition would attract both Floyd and non-Floyd fans, adding it was notable the band were remembered at a time when there is political conversation over the construction of barriers and physical borders.
She told the Press Association: “Whilst we will undoubtedly have tens of thousands of fans of Pink Floyd, we will also get people who probably know very little of Pink Floyd and I hope for those people, as much for the others, that it will be opening their eyes of a moment when music set the cultural experience.
“This was an era when walls were coming down and people were motivated by an openness to other cultures through LSD and ways of seeing the world. An openness to influence ideas… and in all types of ways it’s good to remember an openness to ideas that will drive us forward.”
The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains runs from May 13 to October 1 2017.
