DIVA will be the first exhibition of its kind to celebrate the extraordinary power and creativity of iconic performers who have made their voices heard from the 19th century to today.
DIVA will celebrate the powerful and personal stories of creativity, ambition, and resilience of some the best-known divas, from opera goddesses and silent movie stars to sirens of the big screen and today’s global megastars. The exhibition also looks at how the performer has intersected with society and driven change through their platform and profile for social good and political change, including global civil rights and feminism.
DIVA will demonstrate the phenomenal ability of the diva to transform, inspire and embrace the external and internal forces that contribute to defining, shaping, and worshipping a diva. Delving into the origins of the term ‘diva’ – meaning goddess in Italian – the exhibition will explore how the meaning of the word has been subverted and embraced over time, and how the label has been reclaimed by performers, their fans and wider society.
Over 60 looks will go on display, many rare or on display for the first time, including: a stage ensemble (1952); the fringed black dress worn by Marilyn Monroe as Sugar “Kane” Kowalczyk in ‘Some Like it Hot’ (1959); the only known surviving dress worn by Clara Bow, rarely seen outside of the U.S; iconic costumes designed by fashion designer for the stars Bob Mackie, including looks worn by Tina Turner, P!nk and CHER; a Louis XIV inspired look, with towering powdered wig and train worn by Elton John for his 50th birthday celebration, designed by Sandy Powell; Shirley Bassey’s couture pink gown designed by Julien MacDonald including diamanté-studded wellington boots, worn on stage at Glastonbury (2007); and Janelle Monae’s ‘vulva pants’ designed by Duran Lantink for the music video ‘Pynk’ (2018). Also on display will be examples of ephemera for the divadom including posters, song sheets and handwritten lyric sheets as well as personal objects and accessories owned by divas. DIVA also includes examples of diva branding, highlighting the entrepreneurial and enterprising spirit of these divas, as well key photographic works by photographers including Sheila Rock, David Corio and Nick Knight. Finally, a video wall.
Lead image: Photographic negative, Billie Holiday at her only ever London appearance at the Albert Hall. Jack Parnell band backing her, photographed by Harry Hammond, England, 1954. Photograph: Harry Hammond © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
| Duration | 24 June 2023 - 07 April 2024 |
| Times | daily 10.00–17.45 Friday until 22.00 |
| Cost | £20 |
| Venue | V&A |
| Address | Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL |
| Contact | / vanda@vam.ac.uk / www.vam.ac.uk |