I was very saddened to learn of the death of David Bowie. The world has lost a uniquely talented and ground-breaking artist who made musical history for generations. The David Bowie exhibition was held at the Martin‑Gropius‑Bau in Berlin in 2014. I spoke there about the political dimension of David Bowie’s art. This dimension was exemplified by the years David Bowie spent in Berlin during the 1970s, when he recorded his song “Heroes” in the legendary Hansa Studios, a homage to Berlin at the height of the Cold War and a soundtrack of the divided city.

David Bowie had something that is also essential for diplomacy, that is, the curiosity to discover the world through the eyes of others; the willingness to free himself from obsolete clichés and prejudices; and the conviction that borders can be overcome – even if this is not immediately apparent, as was certainly the case in the divided city of Berlin during the 1970s. Although we have lost David Bowie, his music will live on and continue carrying this message to the world.