How much longer, Mama? Between Artistic Self-Realisation and Care Work

Motherhood plays a role in numerous women’s art-historical biographies but is seldom investigated in detail. Describing the background of many women Bauhaus photographers, one often runs across a matter-of-fact, yet life-changing side note that reads “With the birth of her daughter that same year, she ended her photographic career.” One exception was Lony Neumann who left her husband and child and emigrated to a different country. Such examples underscore a long-established fact of life: the private sphere is always political.

The life stories of these women offer us an opportunity to reflect on motherhood today. How does one reconcile motherhood and one’s artistic practice in a system in which care work receives little appreciation, where part-time lifestyle has become a buzzword, and female artists struggle for visibility in contrast to their male colleagues? And how do we channel these debates into museums?

Children are welcome to attend as audience members.

Limited number of participants. Registration required.

More information and registration here.

An event in the Bauhaus-Archiv series “An Exercise in Defending Democracy”.