La Traviata (Crying Portrait of Maria Callas with a Pearl Earring) by Franscesco Vezzoli

La Traviata (Crying Portrait of Maria Callas with a Pearl Earring) by Francesco Vezzoli from the Museum of Crying Women, a project by Francesco Vezzoli, in dialogue with Rem Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist.

For his first exhibition in the Middle East, Francesco Vezzoli will bring together his most striking portraits of iconic female figures of the last century, including Joan Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor and Lady Gaga, in a celebration of femininity.

Dorned with Vezzoli’s signature of an embroidered glittering tear, the show will display portraits, embroideries and needleworks of Hollywood legends, first ladies, fashion icons and pop culture celebrities intended to reflect the drama of the female divided identities, and show the anguish between living a public and private life.

In a space reminiscent of the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace de Versailles, the exhibition will include a new series of artworks inspired by Oum Kulthom, one of the most admired female Arab singers, as well as four videos starring the likes of Bianca Jagger and Lauren Bacall, and a bronze sculpture of Sophia Loren.

Presented by Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), The Museum of Crying Women will be on view until November 30 2013, at QMA Gallery, Katara. Photo courtesy of Francesco Vezzoli

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