Exhibition

Melbourne’s new Australian Museum of Performing Arts opens with DIVA, a truly dazzling exhibition. By Vyshnavee Wijekumar.

Iconic moments in pop culture on show in DIVA

A display from the DIVA exhibition at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts.

Credit: Arts Centre Melbourne

The word “diva” prompts the image of an opera singer adorned in an elaborate gown, or an imperious, sequinned pop singer or musician. The glitz, the glamour and the public spectacle are explored in DIVA, the opening show at Arts Centre Melbourne’s newest exhibition venue, the Australian Museum of Performing Arts (AMPA).

DIVA was originally assembled by the Victoria and Albert Museum’s senior curator Kate Bailey, and comes to Arts Centre Melbourne through chief executive Karen Quinlan’s earlier relationship with the museum from her time at Bendigo Art Gallery. It was inspired by a 2017 V&A exhibition, Opera: Passion, Power and Politics. The disciplines and decades covered in the DIVA exhibition are expansive, divided into “Prelude”, “Act I” and “Act II” to mirror the structure of an opera. It’s an exploration of evolution, inspiration and identity: how the divas present themselves and how they are perceived.

“Prelude”, curated by Arts Centre Melbourne’s team led by Margot Anderson, is all about “Embracing the Australian Diva”. These exhibits are drawn from the centre’s Australian Performing Arts Collection (APAC), which is some 50 years old and contains more than 850,000 items – the most extensive in Australia. It also includes items borrowed from contemporary performers, as well as pieces that have been donated to the collection.

From the outset, we encounter iconic moments in pop culture. We’re greeted by a mannequin dressed in Kylie Minogue’s striking red Thierry Mugler catsuit, which was a notable feature in the music video for her 2023 viral hit, “Padam Padam”. We continue to a podium hosting Jessica Mauboy’s dress from the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, the jacket Olivia Newton-John wore during her residency at the Flamingo Las Vegas from 2014 to 2016, and a brown animal-print dress worn by Marcia Hines on the cover of her 1977 Ladies and Gentlemen album.

Next are the outspoken, boundary-pushing Australian divas: a nod to queer culture and sexuality, and to playful femininity. In a glass case sits a shirt and suit worn by Reuben Kaye and a large skirt printed with his face, bearing his signature Cheshire smile. There’s also a two-piece whoopee cushion ensemble worn by Amy Taylor, frontwoman of Amyl and the Sniffers. These stand alongside a glittery dress and spectacles worn by Dame Edna Everage and a shimmery structured dress with a front split from Meow Meow. Artificial flowers lie at Meow Meow’s feet, a prop from her 2016 London show, Meow Meow’s Pandemonium.

The Australian section concludes with some exhibits from opera. A nightgown worn by Joan Sutherland in Lucia di Lammermoor sits alongside a video of her performing the “Mad Scene” and next to a robe worn by Dame Nellie Melba as Desdemona in Otello.

“Act I” and “Act II” have a more international focus, drawing attention to recurring costume and fashion trends across decades, exploring notions of empowerment, objectification, sexuality, independence and freedom. “Act I” moves from stars of old Hollywood and silent films to “Dancers and Showgirls”. A black-and-white photo of bisexual, androgynous actress Marlene Dietrich is hung alongside one of the alluring Greta Garbo. Andy Warhol’s famous silkscreen painting of Marilyn Monroe is arranged with her costume for Some Like It Hot, which was designed by Academy Award-winning Australian designer Orry-Kelly.

These inclusions foreshadow Madonna’s hit single “Vogue”, the cover art of which is featured in “Act II”. To demonstrate how different artists interpret the showgirl persona, Kylie Minogue’s costume from her 2005 Showgirl: The Greatest Hits tour – a John Galliano design inspired by the Las Vegas showgirl – is placed next to Bette Midler’s The Showgirl Must Go On costume, worn during her 2010 Las Vegas residency.

Culture and celebrity intersect in a section dedicated to the “African queen”. A poster of Elizabeth Taylor from the 1963 film Cleopatra appears alongside her cover in Screen Stories. It’s juxtaposed with an Egyptian-inspired headpiece worn by Beyoncé in 2011 for L’Officiel magazine. Further on, a photograph of South African singer, actress and activist Miriam Makeba, nicknamed “Mama Africa” for her protest songs about the apartheid regime, stares into your soul. A nod to South Asia contains a film poster for 1949 Bollywood horror film Mahal and a photo of Priyanka Chopra at the UNICEF Snowflake Ball in 2019. A deeper dive into divas outside the West may not have been feasible, given how many objects crowd this exhibition, but it sure would have been interesting.

“Act II” is all about reclamation and breaking free, focusing on artists with a distinct visual presentation who have evolved through time. On display is Lady Gaga’s 2019 Golden Globes pale blue Maison Valentino gown, Adele’s yellow Vivienne Westwood corset dress for British Vogue in 2021 and Kylie Minogue’s Dolce & Gabbana-designed costume from her 2011 Aphrodite: Les Folies tour. It makes a nice symmetry with the high-end fashion in the NGV’s Westwood | Kawakubo exhibition down the road.

As in the Australian queer homage, “Act II” acknowledges fashion as an extension of power and sexuality. Elton John’s campy King Louis XIV costume from his 50th birthday party stands proud with Rihanna’s pope-inspired outfit by Maison Margiela for the 2018 Met Gala. The latter cannot be photographed – a truly diva move. Other iconic pop culture mementos include Billie Eilish’s baggy, androgynous shirt and shorts from the 2019 Glastonbury Festival and the vagina pants from Janelle Monáe’s “Pynk” music video.

DIVA introduces the artists with videos, quotes and a fun soundscape. A screen plays concert footage of Amyl and the Sniffers showing Amy Taylor in the displayed outfit. A comment from Reuben Kaye on the wall reads: “It would be lovely if, by being who I am, that gives others permission to be themselves.” As you wander through the exhibition, the needle drops really enhance the vibe: Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade”, Liza Minnelli’s “Maybe This Time”, Cher’s “Turn Back Time” and Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy”, to name a few.

It’s challenging at times to navigate the sheer breadth of objects in the compact space. God forbid you knock over a mannequin wearing one of Cher’s Bob Mackie numbers. There is also a lot of Kylie to behold – the APAC collection is extensive – but did every piece need to be included? Perhaps. The dim lighting and accompanying wall colour also make the museum feel dark and the didactics hard to read on occasion, although they’re a vital part of contextualising curatorial decisions, the noteworthy moment the outfit was worn and artistic intentions.

DIVA pays tribute to performing artists as contributors to history and mainstream culture, acknowledging that sartorial expression, production and public perception are as much a part of the artistic persona as their craft. It was particularly heartening to see the elevation of local artists, recognising their global influence. AMPA is an exciting addition to the Melbourne Arts Precinct and provides a brilliant opportunity to showcase Australia’s largest performing arts collection.

DIVA is showing at the Australian Museum of Performing Arts, Melbourne, until April 26.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on January 24, 2026 as "Absolutely fabulous".

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