In this exhibition, diva is not a swear word, but a compliment

No one wants to have the word “diva” thrown at them. It evokes associations with Mariah Carey, who reportedly hired an assistant whose only job was to dispose of her old chewing gum. With Naomi Campbell throwing a phone at her cleaner’s head. And Madonna, who during a world tour expected every toilet to have a brand new toilet seat installed especially for her. A diva is demanding, tricky and spoiled to the bone.

It used to be different, you will learn in the exhibition DIVA, which is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London until April next year. In 1832, the French critic Théophile Gautier was the first to use the word diva – derived from the Latin word for goddess – to describe opera singers with what he described as ‘divine talent’. There was no greater compliment imaginable.

On the ground floor – the exhibition is divided into two floors – you are introduced to the first generations of divas through film posters, video images and above all a lot of clothing. Sopranos like Jenny Lind (1820-1887) and Adelina Patti (1843-1919) were idolized by their fans. The success brought them independence and financial independence at a time when most women could not find a job at all. Yet they had considerably less status than their male colleagues.

At the end of the nineteenth century, when the first feminist wave was just getting underway, more and more female stage artists took action for equal treatment. To gain more influence, they also started to hold positions behind the scenes. Someone like theater actress Vesta Tilley (1864-1952) used her fame to push the boundaries of how a woman could behave. As one of the first actresses, she also played male roles – at a time when wearing only pants was already considered shocking. With success, at the end of the nineteenth century she was the highest-earning woman in England.

The advent of silent films (1895) made actresses even more famous. But because men were still pulling the most important strings backstage, women were often depicted in a one-dimensional way. Either as a femme fatale (actresses such as Lyda Borelli and Theda Bara became world famous with it) or as innocent and girlish (Clara Bow, Mary Pickford). The latter could oftenAmerica’s sweetheart‘, she did set up her own film company that allowed her to work without the interference of large, male-run Hollywood film studios. Because they gained more and more power at that time, especially when silent films made way for ‘talkies’ in the thirties. They determined what roles actresses could play, how they should dress, and leaked gossip about their private lives to sell more movie tickets.

At the same time, according to the information boards, actresses received “supernova levels of star power”. They began to fight for autonomy more fiercely than ever. Bette Davis sued film studio Warner Bros, which determined for her which roles she could and could not play. A quote from her can be read on a wall: “When a man gives his opinion, he’s a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she’s a bitch.” When Elizabeth Taylor demanded a million dollars for her starring role in 1963 Cleopatrathat was considered outrageous. Even a man had never dared to ask for that amount (she did get it, by the way). Instead of being ambitious and talented, these women were now seen as difficult and demanding.

This is where the first part of the exhibition ends. A staircase leads you to the second half, which begins in the sixties. Where below you are guided through a clear, chronological history story, here you are overwhelmed by a multitude of divas (f/m) from all kinds of categories and eras. Liza Minelli, Billie Eilish, Cher, PJ Harvey, Lil Nas X, Beyoncé, Blondie, Sade, Freddie Mercury, Missy Elliott, Edith Piaf, P!nk, Mariah Carey – the museum seems terrified of forgetting someone. Some divas are so brief with a photo and a short caption that it adds little. And as a visitor you ask yourself: what is a diva actually?

An information sign replies: “Revolutionary artists who are driving social change, who use their celebrity to challenge everything from institutional racism to ingrained industry norms.” A rosy, almost heroic definition. The negative sides – stars who only demand M&Ms in a certain color (that was Eddie Van Halen, incidentally) – do not appear in the exhibition. Madonna is only praised in the museum for her groundbreaking appearance, performances and lyrics.

Attention is paid to black women such as Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Miriam Makeba who were labeled as extremists and put their careers at risk by speaking out strongly against racism. Women (Annie Lennox, Grace Jones), but also men (Prince, Lil Nas X) who challenge traditional gender norms with their appearance. Spectacular is the Louis XIV-inspired feather-studded costume that Elton John wore on his fiftieth birthday. So big that John had to be taken to his party in a moving van.

And there’s a corner dedicated to women who succumbed to the pressures of being a diva: Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse. The ground floor features the tragic story of Marilyn Monroe. Still, it’s not a heavy show. Curator Kate Bailey wants to celebrate the diva, can be read several times. It is therefore mainly a festive parade of red carpet outfits. It is clear that the V&A owns the largest fashion collection in the world. The most legendary garments are present. A hand-embroidered cape that Elizabeth Taylor wears Cleopatra wore, the flame dress Bob Mackie designed for Tina Turner in 1977, Issey Miyake’s plastic corset in which Grace Jones performed in 1981, Alaïa’s leather maternity outfit Rihanna wore to the Oscars earlier this year. They all stand under a gigantic domed ceiling, onto which a galaxy of moving images of divas such as Marilyn Monroe, RuPaul, Janis Joplin and Adele are projected.

Dutch designers are also participating. Grandiose are Duran Lantink’s ‘vulva pants’ that Janelle Monáe wore in her video clip Pynk (2018) – an ode to the female genitalia. You can even see two outfits by Viktor&Rolf.

You will be happy with it all in all. So many women (and the odd man) who stood up for themselves and others and thereby changed the status quo, dressed in downright spectacular fashion. If a conclusion can be drawn, it is that those who do not want to be exploited or snowed under must show ‘diva behaviour’. Or as Maria Callas, perhaps the most famous opera diva of all time, said: “I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best.”