My Name Is Prince – inside the new London exhibition

There's a purple corner of The O2 until January next year

It’s been just over a year since Prince, perhaps the world’s most mysterious and smallest rockstar, died at 57. By way of memorial, touring exhibition My Name Is Prince has debuted at London’s The O2, a venue close to the performer’s heart having been the scene of his 21 sold-out shows in 2007.

Following in the vein of David Bowie Is and the recent Pink Floyd show Their Mortal Remains, both at The V&A, My Name Is Prince collects costumes, instruments and artefacts from Prince’s career. This is your chance to see the Prince symbol on everything from a tambourine to a hand towel.

The exhibition is a little light in terms of information about Prince’s life (and death, though you can leave memorials to prince on a recreation of the fence around his Paisley Park compound) but it’s rare chance to peek into the Paisley Park archives for those unable to visit Prince’s Chanhassen, Minnesota estate. And that, curator Angie Marchesse said at the launch, is the point. “Visiting Paisley park is a way of saying goodbye, finding closure,” she said. “And this is a way of doing that for people who can’t make it there.”

Check out the exhibition in the pictures and video below. My Name Is Prince is at The O2 until January 7, 2018.

 

1
There’s guitar porn aplenty

Prince was a killer guitarist, and on display at My Name Is Prince you’ll find many quirky instruments, including a leopard print electric, a futuristic ‘Bat-dance’-era bass and one of the Hohner Madcat Telecasters he had produced to copy the beloved instrument he bought for $30 at a gas station.

2
There are lots of petite clothes

Prince stood at five feet tall. Getting close to the many incredible outfits on display gives you a sense of his physicality – and his flamboyance.

3
Prince writes in purple ink

Yep, the Purple One liked purple prose in purple ink. On display in his own hand you’ll find lyrics and even production and script notes for the Purple Rain movie.

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4
There’s a Purple Rain display

Exhibits are themed to represent eras of Prince’s career, this one being ‘Purple Rain’. Later, there’s a video of him doing the title track at Super Bowl, in real rain, that is absolutely magical.

5
His discography is well represented

Prince’s output was vast, but you can hear many of his greatest works on the audio guide you walk around with – and see the vinyl LPs on display. If you’re so moved, you can buy many of them in the shop afterwards.

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