Who Is Afraid of Motherhood?
The starting point of this exhibition is the conviction that, while motherhood is a deeply personal experience, it is always influenced by the fact that it is also an institution that has been largely shaped by a world operating on unequal terms. At the heart of the exhibition is the tension between personal and social life, and the question of how motherhood might serve as a means to envision and create a more caring society.
Gallery
Parenthood is explored and interpreted in broad and multifaceted ways in this exhibition focusing on contemporary art from the Baltic states and Central and Eastern Europe. Although gender-specific challenges are highlighted, motherhood is viewed more broadly as a relationship between the caregiver and the cared-for. Furthermore, when discussing motherhood, we should not speak solely of the relationship between parent and child, and the joys and challenges associated with it, or more generally of being a parent or a child; we must also address voluntary childlessness, successful and unsuccessful fertility treatments and reproductive rights, as well as different ways of being a family, single parenthood, the absence of parents, and violence and its causes. When it comes to motherhood, we talk about relationships, existence, birth, death and, of course, love.
The exhibition explores various facets of motherhood – a vast and complex topic – through works created by artists largely based on their personal experiences. The primary motif framing the exhibition is fear. The artists point out, analyse and interpret the fears associated with parenthood, either by expressing their perplexity or by confronting the roots of that fear: societal attitudes, contradictions, assumptions, ideologies and a lack of solidarity and care. On the other hand, the exhibition Who Is Afraid of Motherhood?, presenting scenarios for change and transforming many personal experiences into shared ones, could offer comfort and hope in coping with these fears.
Conference
On 8–9 April 2027, a conference titled Entangled Motherhoods: Care, Politics and Intimacies takes place in Tallinn. The conference in cooperation with the Kumu Art Museum, the Estonian Academy of Arts and Rīga Stradiņš University, serves as a satellite event to the exhibition Who Is Afraid of Motherhood? and brings together perspectives and experiences from Central and Eastern Europe.
Book
The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive bilingual book that brings together diverse perspectives on the experience and meaning of motherhood, complementing and expanding upon the exhibition’s themes. The book’s editor and one of its authors is the exhibition’s curator, Eda Tuulberg; the co-authors include Yevheniia Butsykina, Mikala Hyldig Dal, Brigitta Davidjants, Rasa Jansone, Eglė Kačkutė-Hagan, Maarja Kangro, Jana Kukaine, Kateřina Olivová, Martina Pachmanová, Viktória Popovics, Ingrid Ruudi, Zuzana Štefková and Aliona (Jelena) Šalaj.
Stage production Holy Night 2
The side programme includes Holy Night 2 in the Kanuti Gildi SAAL. It is a stage production by Flo Kasearu, Riina Maidre, Marianne Männi and Oksana Tralla-Anger, and a sequel to Holy Night, which premiered in 2013 with practically the same cast. The video Catwalk, which was created in the context of Holy Night, is on display at the exhibition Who Is Afraid of Motherhood?
Further information and tickets
Artists
Jurga Barilaitė (Lithuania), Renate Bertlmann (Austria), Elina Brotherus (Finland), Miriam Cahn (Switzerland), Lilija Dinere (Latvia), Martina Drozd Smutná (Czech Republic), Andrea Fajgerné Dudás (Hungary), Vika Eksta (Latvia), Aneta Grzeszykowska (Poland), Annika Haas (Estonia), Gideon Horváth (Hungary/France), Hanna Hrabarska (Ukraine), Cloe Jancis (Estonia), Zuzanna Janin (Poland), Rasa Jansone (Latvia), Anu Kalm (Estonia), Maria Kapajeva (Estonia), Edith Karlson (Estonia), Flo Kasearu (Estonia), Lenka Klodová (Czech Republic), Maija Kurševa (Latvia), Kris Lemsalu (Estonia), Katya Lesiv (Ukraine), Kateryna Lysovenko (Ukraine), Anda Magone (Latvia), Cecylia Malik (Poland), MATERNAL FANTASIES (international artist collective), Riina Maidre (Estonia), Natalie Mei (Estonia), Marju Mutsu (Estonia), Marianne Männi (Estonia), Hanna Piksarv (Estonia), Peter Puklus (Hungary), Anu Põder (Estonia), Emília Rigová (Slovakia), Leszek Rózga (Poland), Ahlam Shibli (Palestine), Killu Sukmit (Estonia), Sophia Süßmilch (Germany), Jaan Toomik (Estonia), Oksana Tralla-Anger (Estonia), Kata Tranker (Hungary), Marta Vaarik (Estonia), Veronika Vallimäe (Estonia), Del LaGrace Volcano (USA)
Exhibition team
Curator: Eda Tuulberg
Exhibition artist-designer: Flo Kasearu
Graphic design: Brit Pavelson
Public and educational programme: Maria Lota Lumiste, Anu Lüsi, Feministeerium, Family Relationships and Parenting Research Group, Tallinn University
Technical support: Tõnis Medri, Tõnu Narro
Coordinator: Magdaleena Maasik
Assistants: Marit Loitmets, Gloria Niin, Stella Oja, Daria Titova
Renita Raudsepp, Helen Volber, Kaisa-Piia Pedajas, Klaire Kolmann, Tiina Randus, Richard Adang, Marit Must, Mati Schönberg, Tuuli Aule, Norman Orro, Kaidi Saavan, Terje Tammearu, Ketlin Käpp, Kalle Nettan, Elnara Taidre, Uve Untera, Brigita Reinert, Aleksander Meresaar
Special thanks
Eglė Juocevičiūtė, Miglė Survilaitė, Jana Kukaine, Eero Epner, Agata Jakubowska, Darina Alster, Kateřina Olivová, Oleksandra Pogrebnyak, Olya Balashova, Judit Reszegi, Jelena Škulis, Tereza Stejskalová, Maria Arusoo, Tiiu Saadoja, Ann Mirjam Vaikla, Barbora Baronová, Dagmar Svatošová, Tea Kříž, Miroslav Halak, Elita Ansone, Milena Khomchenko, Agnė Bernotaitė, Péter Bencze, Mariann Märtsin, Annela Samuel, Kadri Kasterpalu, Kaarin Kivirähk, Liine Päkk, Margit Päkk, Paweł Sosnowski, Triin Kaare, Annika Tiko, Kristiina Aarna, Paul Šeripov, Eugen Christian Riimaa, Tormi Tuulberg, Villem Villak
Tartu Art Museum, Ukrainian Museum of Contemporary Art, Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Galerie Steinek, private collections, Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, Social Insurance Board of Estonia and Tallinn Rukkilill Kindergarten
With the support of
Ministry of Culture
Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Cobalt
Liszt Institute Tallinn
Pakendikeskus
Selver
Artproof
Embassy of Lithuania
IAM
Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA)
The exhibition <i>Who Is Afraid of Motherhood?</i> is dedicated to Tormi and Leevi, and to their wonderful fathers, Lauri and Eero.
Typeface used for the exhibition and book’s title design: Interlope
Created by: Gabriel Dubourg
Distributed by: Velvetyne Type Foundry, velvetyne.fr
