The Hayward Gallery Touring exhibition, Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood, has finally made its way to the Millennium Gallery. Curated by writer and critic Hettie Judah, Acts of Creation is a fascinating series of artworks that aim to explore the lived experience of motherhood as represented through the work of the artist as a mother. With more than 100 artworks on display, they range from painting, photography, sculpture, sound and film.
Hermione Wiltshire’s Yoga Positions for Birth is arranged outside the exhibition, alluding to the rawness of the matters within. This display isn’t ‘flowery’ as is often associated with mothers and it speaks to Judah’s aim of “motherhood in all its great diversity is a theme that needs to be explored.” Her speech details how this endeavour initially began as a book but was repeatedly told that her topic was “too niche” and that “no one would be interested.” A statement appreciably disproven by the evening’s eager crowd.
In addition to exploring one of the most universal human experiences, Judah mentions she is interested “in things that can’t be seen in statistics.” Thus, various feelings towards motherhood are highlighted through contemporary concerns around gender, caregiving and reproductive rights. A personal favourite is Lea Cetera’s You Can’t Have It All, an hourglass in the shape of two uteruses symbolising the idea of a ‘biological clock’. Although a term coined in the ‘70s, women are still pressured to navigate between child-rearing and a career in the present day. This is just one of many pieces that encourage the viewer to reconsider how accessible the art world is for mothers.
Judah’s curation stands out by organising each artwork through themes of creation, maintenance and loss. Especially through the latter, which touches on miscarriage and involuntary childlessness. A content warning has been placed upon entering the section, along with a box of tissues and a resource list containing organisations that offer support around the aforementioned. The recognition given towards the sensitivity of this often overlooked subject is a prime example of how the gallery has truly taken the exhibition and its themes to heart.
Acts of Creation offers a unique opportunity to explore the diversity of motherhood, regardless of the viewer’s own relationship to maternity. With over 60 modern and contemporary artists on display, Judah has crafted an exhibition that creates a space for mothers to feel seen, for others to consider complexities they may have not before, and for both to momentarily place the forgotten figure of the artist mother at the forefront.
Rating: ★★★★★
Acts of Creation is on display in the Millennium Gallery until January 19th 2025
