DIVA, the major exhibition celebrating history's most iconic performers, opens at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts on 11 December.
DIVA pulls together over 250 objects including 60 knockout costumes, jewellery, photography, art and music from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection and loaned pieces from around the world.
Running until 26 April, the exhibition puts a spotlight on the creativity, ambition and resilience of divas from 19th century opera legends and silent movie stars to today’s global powerhouses.
Legendary names like Maria Callas, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Dame Nellie Melba, Grace Jones, Cher, Prince, Tina Turner, Elton John, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Adele, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Whitney Houston, P!nk, Bjork and Billie Eilish all get their moment across the exhibition.
DIVA – Arts Centre Melbourne
- What: DIVA exhibition opening the Australian Museum of Performing Arts
- When: 11 December – 26 April
- Where: Australian Museum of Performing Arts, Arts Centre Melbourne
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DIVA digs into how the term diva, meaning goddess in Italian, has been twisted, owned and reclaimed by performers, fans and wider society over time. From high-end couture gowns and jaw-dropping stage fits to personal treasures, visitors can trace the evolution of some of history’s most magnetic performers and watch how the entire concept of diva has been rewritten.
Australia’s mark on pop culture history gets proper recognition through pieces from Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection. Dame Nellie Melba, Peter Allen, Marcia Hines, Kylie Minogue, Olivia Newton-John, Kate Miller-Heidke, Chrissy Amphlett, Dame Edna Everage, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jessica Mauboy and Amy Taylor from Amyl and the Sniffers all feature.
Exhibition standouts include Maria Callas’ stage ensemble from Norma at Covent Garden in 1952, the fringed black dress Marilyn Monroe wore in Some Like it Hot, legendary Bob Mackie creations worn by Tina Turner, P!nk and Cher, Rihanna’s jewel-covered papal moment from the 2018 Met Gala, Whitney Houston’s black and gold Grammy dress from 1994, Lady Gaga’s periwinkle blue Valentino number from the 2019 Golden Globes, and Kylie Minogue’s red Padam Padam video outfit.
Sound designer Gareth Fry has built a sonic experience weaving music from Maria Callas, Aretha Franklin, Josephine Baker, Dolly Parton, Adele, Prince, Ella Fitzgerald, Sade, Beyoncé and Madonna throughout the exhibition space.
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