The key facts
- Steve McQueen's sound installation '66–76–26' is open at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao from 9 October 2026 to 13 February 2027
- In a dark hall, versions of the song Wild is the Wind by Nina Simone (1966) and David Bowie (1976) sound toward each other; the viewer, according to McQueen, becomes the 'second voice'
- In parallel, the museum is presenting a film programme of McQueen's movies
A dialogue in darkness
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has opened '66–76–26', an exhibition by Oscar-winning director and artist Steve McQueen. The visitor enters a dark hall where there are only a few patches of light, a soft carpet and sound. In one corner, Nina Simone's voice sounds a cappella, and from another corner David Bowie answers her — with the same words of the same song. There is no duet that never existed in reality: it is a sound installation combining two versions of the composition Wild is the Wind. According to McQueen, the viewer becomes the 'second voice' in the work.
The history of the song
The song Wild is the Wind was written by composer Dimitri Tiomkin and poet Ned Washington for the film of the same name from 1957. The first version was recorded that same year by Johnny Mathis. Nina Simone performed it in 1966, and a decade later, in 1976, David Bowie recorded his version as a tribute to Simone. McQueen first heard the song 30 years ago; what struck him most in both performances was the 'pure longing, yearning'. 'She took this song and sent it into another stratosphere,' he said of Simone, noting that both recordings are in A major and, joined together, 'make fire'.
How Bowie met Simone
McQueen was also inspired by the story of how the artists met: Nina Simone's daughter wanted to attend a Bowie concert and persuaded her mother to go with her; after the performance they met. 'I think Bowie's version is almost an homage to Nina. There is a certain imitation of her voice in it, but then he takes the song further,' McQueen said.
The title and context
The title '66–76–26' refers to the years the song was recorded by Simone and Bowie, as well as to the year of the exhibition in Bilbao. Both recordings appeared during periods of political tension — the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, Watergate — and, in the author's view, resonate especially strongly with the present moment. 'When the world around you is storming, you hold on to what is truly dear to you — to love,' McQueen explained, admitting that this 'sounds a bit banal', but is important because love is 'our common foundation'.
The curator and the exhibition's context
The exhibition's curator, Lekha Hileman, emphasised that visitors do not need to know the song, Simone, Bowie or McQueen: 'This is an exhibition based on experience. It is about feelings, about being here and now, about slowing down and simply taking something in. In that sense it is very universal,' she told Euronews Culture. The idea to invite McQueen arose six years ago; the exhibition opened on 9 October, on his 57th birthday.
Between cinema and the gallery
McQueen received an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for the film 12 Years a Slave, while Hunger was recognised, among other things, with the Golden Camera of the Cannes Film Festival. Before that, he had made his name as a contemporary artist, representing Great Britain at the Venice Biennale and exhibiting at the Tate museums in London. In parallel with the exhibition, the museum will present a film programme of his movies. The exhibition focuses on themes of perception, corporeality, memory, duration and art's ability to create space for reflection and encounters. The installation is open until 13 February 2027.
