20 april - 8 may 2018
The core of the project, carried out in collaboration with Miriam Quick, is ten 12″ records. Each one deconstructs the track Space Oddity by David Bowie in a different way. Melodies, harmonies, lyrics, structure and history are isolated and transformed into fascinating visual systems.
Recorded at Trident Studios in London, Space Oddity tells the story of an astronaut who is launched into space, leaves his rocket and plunges into the void without ever returning. The title was inspired by Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001:A Space Odyssey and its release was programmed to coincide with the Apollo 11 mission launched on 20 July 1969. In the song, astronaut Major Tom was said to have a mocking tone and for this reason the BBC refused to play it until the return of Apollo 11.
However, the story of this astronaut who loses control of his spaceship and embraces the vastness of the universe, goes beyond the context of the late sixties. In fact, the emotional depth and evocative powers of the song have grown with the passing of generations, reaching millions of people.
Space Oddity was Bowie’s first international success, reaching the Top 20 in the US and the top spot in November 1975.
Valentina D’Efilippo
D’Efilippo is an information designer based in London and the co-author of the award-winning book The Infographic History of the World and the infographic Poppy Field, which displays the wars of the last century and is part of the permanent collection of the Weltmuseum in Vienna.
Pursuing imaginative and compelling visual outcomes, often aimed to visualize data and distill complexity, her work takes on many forms – from theater production and exhibitions, to editorial content and interactive platforms.
Both her work and her research have repeatedly been awarded at the international level. She has also worked in the field of education, collaborating with various universities, and organizations such as The Guardian for which she conducts Masterclasses.
Wild Mazzini has chosen Valentina D’Efilippo for the project Oddity Viz, awarded with a silver Kantar Information is Beautiful Award in the Arts category, in 2017.
