Never before have been shown an exhibition in Hungary featuring so many international and Hungarian stars Pop music world stars, movie stars, opera divas – through the original performance clothes, costumes, props, posters, video and audio recordings of more than a hundred international and Hungarian performers, the story of divas comes to life in the new exhibition of the House of Music Hungary, which can be visited from 18 May to 15 September. In addition to Rihanna, Björk, Billie Eilish, Tina Turner, Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Beyoncé, Sade, Janelle Monáe, Whitney Houston, Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, also Lujza Blaha, Katalin Karády, Zsuzsa Cserháti, Magdi Rúzsa and many others will be featured in the Divas & Icons exhibition opening now. Never before have the personal belongings of so many major world stars been seen in one place in Hungary. The Divas & Icons exhibition will first arrive to Budapest from the world’s largest museum of applied arts and design, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, and then begin its journey around the world. The travelling exhibition was always sold out at the original venue and attracted nearly 300,000 visitors from all over the world. The exhibition, which can be visited in the House of Music from 18 May all summer, dazzles the Hungarian audience with its stunning visuals, thoughtful and exciting dramaturgy, while providing a social historical period of the world of female performers from the 19th century to the present day. The Divas & Icons exhibition was opened by Magdolna Závogyán, State Secretary for Culture, and the curator of the London exhibition Kate Bailey, expressed her joy that the travelling exhibition has started its journey around the world and was first housed in the House of Music. The Hungarian divas featured in the exhibition visited the exhibition personally, the event was attended by, among others, Éva Marton, Ilona Medveczky, Márta Sebestyén, Mónika Lakatos, Dagadu Sena, Bori Péterfy, Adrienn Zsédenyi Zséda. ’It is a great recognition for the House of Music that after only two and a half years of operation, we were able to bring such a grandiose, high-quality international exhibition. Perhaps there are not many examples of anything like this, not only in Hungary, but also in the region,” said András Batta, managing director of the House of Music, who revealed about the preparations and planning of the exhibition: „It was a great experience to work with the V&A team, we received all the professional support, and they were even open to expanding the original exhibition with Hungarian-related content and the history of Hungarian performers.’ Creating and Redefining the Diva Concept The first part of the exhibition places the creation of the diva in a historical context from the 19th century, reveals the goddesses of the stage and screen: we can get to know the first opera divas, the early prima donnas, the dancers who liberated the human body – Josephine Baker, Gabriella Lakatos – or the personal stories of Hollywood divas – Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Zsazsa Gábor – and through them we can delve into the changes related to femininity, in the struggle for women’s rights. The second act celebrates the modern diva, a select star of the diva galaxy, based on six different perspectives. Revolutionary performers who, with their art, voice and identity, serve the change and development of society. The iconic sets of Tina Turner, P!nk and Cher, designed by star designer Bob Mackie, can be seen, but the exhibition also features the costumes of Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Adele, Björk, Whitney Houston and many others familiar from concerts, awards ceremonies, clips, album covers and famous photos. The exhibition delves into the lives of the featured world stars, but through them it also introduces the diva phenomenon: we can understand how the social perception of female performers has changed over the past 150 years, how equality movements started, and how the role of women in the performing arts has evolved. ’The dramaturgy of the exhibition was determined by several major themes. Who ended up in it was determined not only by the art and notoriety of each diva, but also by their social role and how well it fit into curator Kate Bailey’s concept built with effective dramaturgy,’ said Márton Horn, director of the institution, adding: ’Although 13-time Grammy winner Ella Fitzgerald owes her diva to her amazing performing arts, the exhibition focuses primarily on her social engagement.’ Hungarian divas and icons The original dramaturgy of Divas & Icons has been supplemented with the life stories of outstanding Hungarian artists, so the Hungarian audience can discover exciting parallels and contrasts in the history of international and domestic divas. Marlene Dietrich and Katalin Karády started from surprisingly similar situations, but they met different fates. Dietrich, who demonstratively left his native Germany during World War II, had a huge international career, while Karády, who is often remembered in Hungary as a hero of the war, was unable to make a career in the America of the time after emigration, partly due to language difficulties and partly due to Hungary’s isolation. Icons In addition to prominent female performers, there are also some emblematic, adored and sometimes even deified male stars who, in addition to becoming icons, were influenced by the world of divas. In this section of the exhibition you can see Freddie Mercury’s dress, which he wore at his famous concert in Budapest in ’86, but also Elton John’s costume decorated with semi-precious stones, Prince’s iconic shoes, and János Kóbor and Ferenc Demjen, who are connected to diva with their extravagant stage presence. Related programs The Divas & Icons exhibition, which can be visited until mid-September, defines the year 2024 of the House of Music: many related programs have already led to the exhibition, but we will continue to tune in to the divas with many exciting performances, guided tours and other programs. In our series entitled Exhibition Exclusive, we talk to the Hungarian divas appearing in the exhibition, from Ilona Medveczky through Sena and Bori Péterfy to Zséda. During the entire four months of the exhibition, visitors can get a deeper insight into each topic with the help of a fashion historian, theatre historian or cultural journalist in the framework of our thematic guided tours. András Batta Subjective! series is dedicated to divas, and our popular series Hangadó Senior will also be turned into a three-part special series themed Divas & Icons. Just like our free open-air film screenings, a diva special edition will be launched, and even a selection of photos by the internationally renowned photographer Tibor Bozi are tailored and can be seen in the Sound Dome. Divas & Icons Exhibition trailer: https://youtu.be/o23KXA5dOHo 1/9 ×