Picturing the Unseen: Grief and Labour in and out of Motherhood

MAC, Birmingham,

Thu 12 Sep 2024

This event addressed experiences of struggling to conceive, (in)fertility, being childless not by choice, maternal grief and caring for chronically ill children, as part of Hettie Judah’s Acts of Creation exhibition programme.

The day was developed with myself, Sally Butcher and Hettie Judah, following an invitation from Hettie to co-programme the event. Honoured to work with them both and the supportive team at MAC.

This day was partly inspired by the (M)otherhood: Art & Life event at Tate St Ives in 2023, programmed through my role as Curator, Public Programme, Tate St Ives and supported and developed with The Paul Mellon Centre for studies in British Art.

Speakers:

Elina Brotherus, Sally Butcher, Jessa Fairbrother, El Morgan, Trish Morrissey, Holly Slingsby, Helen Acklam, Sofie Layton, Louise Ashcroft, Buki Hannaway, Alexandrina Hemsley, Victoria Robinson, Hettie Judah.

There was power conjured up in the room. I was so moved, lifted and validated by the speakers and their work. This coming together, across life experiences, to acknowledge the whole, felt important, a marker. Thank you to our wonderful, warm audience who held, heard and shared.

Thank you to Roma Piotrowska, Chris and Deborah Kermode at MAC, Birmingham for giving unquestioned institutional support and making it all run so smoothly. Thank you to Sally and Hettie for this sensitive work, approached with compassion, expansive thinking and warmth and attention to the experience of others. Thank you to everyone who came and supported and shared at this event. It felt important, a marker in these conversations.

‘Deeply moving and healing, @melaniestidolph’s incredible film. Not a dry eye @mac_birmingham.’ Charlotte Warne Thomas on Instagram.

‘Incredibly generous, emotive and honest day of presentations @mac_birmingham, for symposium Picturing the Unseen, organised by @sallybutcher @melaniestidolph @hettiejudah. So lucky to have been able to see the amazing exhibition Acts of Creation, and to be invited in to the works and experiences (so beautifully intertwined) of some of its artists.’ Lydia Goldblatt on Instagram.