Divas: From Oum Koulthoum to Dalida celebrates the women who redefined music, cinema, and cultural identity across the Arab world. Conceived by the Institut du Monde Arabe, the exhibition traces a century of female artistry and emancipation – from early pioneers like Huda Shaarawi and Rose El Youssef to the golden voices of Oum Koulthoum, Fayrouz, and Warda.
Beyond its nostalgic tribute, the exhibition revisits an era when women stood at the center of Arab modernity, navigating fame, tragedy, patriarchy, and freedom in equal measure. Before landing in Beirut, it traveled from Paris to Amsterdam and Amman, taking on new meaning in each city.
ult.society sat down with Sursock Museum director Karina El Helou to discuss how the Beirut edition of this exhibition reframes the story of the divas, spotlighting Lebanon’s role in shaping the region’s creative history and the enduring power of women to turn art into resistance, and glamour into strength.