The figure and traditional narratives of the mother remain unabated; she continues her career as the epitome of care work and therefore will forever be doomed to failure as soon as her “birthing into motherhood” is imminent. No matter what she does “it will never be enough”. This has been brought to our attention not least through the current pandemic with home office and home schooling on the agenda. While state authorities ardently promote and encourage the reconciliation of work and family life, social research indicates the complete opposite; two-thirds of unpaid care work still sticks to the mothers.
Everyone knows the old tune: “she would do anything for love”. In case that a mother wants to get more out of life than just changing the nappies, she has to persevere and negotiate. Especially in the arts the message seems to be an unambiguous one: “I ain’t your mama”. In the succession line of grandmother Marina Abramovic it turns out that there is not much energy and space left for parents and their offspring. Artist Tracey Emin puts it this way, “There are good artists that have children. Of course there are. They are called men”.
Choreographer Olivia Hyunsin Kim has opted for motherhood regardless of her job. In “Like Daughter, Like Mother – Taking Care Of Motherhood“ she investigates her status as a mother while working as an artist. In her audiovisual performance fluid images alter between guilt, sacrifice and bad parenting and evoke hybrid forms of motherhood within and beyond the boundaries and portrayals of biological and socially determined motherhood. Relating to her mother and her new born daughter Olivia Hyunsin Kim questions the expectations placed on her by society with a good-natured take on it: “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that.“
Konzept: Olivia Hyunsin Kim, Von und Mit: Wicki Bernhardt, Yeonsook Jeong, Olivia Hyunsin Kim, Jones Seitz
Mit Dank an Christian Cattelan, Tatiana Heuman, Nalu Cattelan Kim, Moo Sang Kim, Jinyoung Shin, Antonia Tretter
Eine Produktion von Olivia Hyunsin Kim/ddanddarakim in Koproduktion mit SOPHIENSÆLE Berlin im Rahmen des Festivals Coming of Age und zeitraumexit Mannheim. Gefördert aus Mitteln des Hauptstadtkulturfonds.
Photos: © Moo Sang Kim