By Leila Nasiriha
THE GUGGENHEIM Museum in Bilbao is showing a sound installation by renowned British film-maker Steve McQueen that appears two long-dead music icons come back to life.
McQueen has brought together two recordings of the same love song, made ten years apart.
He presents them as an imagined conversation between two famous singers: Nina Simone and David Bowie.
McQueen, who is also a visual artist, chose the song Wild Is the Wind. It was written for a film of the same name in 1957. Simone recorded her version in 1966 and Bowie recorded his in 1976.
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The two singers never performed the song together. But McQueen has placed their voices side by side, making it seem as if they are singing to each other.
Their musical styles were very different. Simone’s music was closely linked to the US civil rights movement. Her songs often showed both strength and vulnerability.
In the 1970s, Bowie became known for his dramatic appearance and clothes that challenged traditional ideas about masculinity and femininity. He helped change how people thought about identity and gender in pop music.
Bowie recorded the song during a difficult period in his life, when he was struggling with drug addiction.
Wild Is the Wind is not a direct account of either singer’s personal life. What matters is how each singer expresses longing and the need for another person.
For the installation, McQueen removed the music that normally accompanies the song. He placed the two voices at opposite ends of a dimly lit room. This makes the pauses, trembling voices and distance between the singers easier to hear.
Visitors become part of the conversation as they move around the room, coming closer to Simone or Bowie.
The title refers to the years when the two recordings were made and when McQueen created the installation. By bringing these dates together, he connects the past with the present. A love song becomes a reflection on love, loss and how easily people can be hurt.
For McQueen, love is not only comforting. It can also bring pain, while giving life meaning.
The work, called 66–76–26, will be on show from October 9 to February 2027.
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