The Bad Mother – Haus am Lützowplatz | 25.11.2023-11.02.2024

Following on from Louise Bourgeois’ work “The Bad Mother”, which gives the exhibition its title, the group exhibition at Haus am Lützowplatz takes an artistic look at expectations of mothers. With mothers who are too selfish, too sexy, too self-sacrificing, too “motherly”. With mothers who do not fulfil their own expectations and whose reality of life is a continuum between self-sacrifice and self-assertion. With mothers who project their own dreams and values onto their children. With mothers who work off their mothers while being mothers themselves. With mothers whose children are wondering whether they want to and can be mothers/fathers themselves.

Fig. above: Katarina Janeckova Walshe, Givers, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 182 x 279 cm, Courtesy Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Berlin

The exhibition brings together works that go beyond the clichéd depiction of family happiness and the eternally mildly smiling mother, as is still prevalent not only in depictions of the supermother Mary, but also in social media images. The exhibition is an attempt to present a realistic image of motherhood.

with works by:
Louise Bourgeois
Candice Breitz
Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg
Antje Engelmann
Daniel Hopp
Niina Lehtonen Braun
Carina Linge
Eva Vuillemin
Sarah Ancelle Schönfeld
Katarina Janečková Walshe

The exhibition is curated by Katharina Schilling, the artistic Director of the HaL, and realised with the kind support of the Hans and Charlotte Krull Foundation.

Exhibition programme

Friday, 24 November 2023, 7 pm
Opening of the exhibition
Greetings
Dr Heinrich-Wilhelm Wörmann, Chairman of the Executive Board
Prof Dr Jordan Troeller, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Introduction
Katharina Schilling, Artistic Director HaL
Instant Cake* Disco by Jim Avignon
*Rolling Stones, Mother’s Little Helper

Thursday, 07.12.2023, 7 pm
Curator guided tour in dialogue with Susanne Weiß

Saturday, 13.01.2014, 4 pm
Performance by Antje Engelmann and Jordan Troeller
This will be followed by the talk “Care and Capitalism” with Prof Dr Jordan Troeller, Leuphana University Lüneburg and Mareice Kaiser, author of “Das Unwohlsein der modernen Mutter” (2021) and “Wie viel. What we do with money and what money does to us” (2022) will take place

Saturday, 27 January 2024, 4 pm
Reading by Daniela Dröscher from the book “Lügen über meine Mutter”, moderated by Dr Sonja Longolius, Director Literaturhaus Berlin

Guest performance by the Literaturhaus Berlin at Haus am Lützowplatz (HaL)

Sunday, 11.02.2024, 4 pm
Artist talk and finissage

WHERE?
Haus am Lützowplatz
Fördererkreis Kulturzentrum Berlin e.V.
Lützowplatz 9
10785 Berlin

WHEN?
Saturday, 24 November 2023 to Sunday, 11 February 2024
Tuesday-Sunday 11 am – 6 pm