Biography

Maternal Fantasies is an interdisciplinary group of international artists and cultural producers based in Berlin. They shape the discourse on motherhood through collective artistic processes while enhancing the visibility of contemporary feminist positions addressing motherhood(s) in the arts. From writing autobiographical responses to classic feminist texts to devising performances using children’s games, their art practice favours inclusive community-oriented experiments as alternatives to traditional structures of art production. Bridging theory and practice, their strategy transforms research on motherhood(s), care work and representation in the arts into frameworks for immersive modes of critique.

Current members of Maternal Fantasies are Aino El Solh, Hanne Klaas, Isabell Spengler, Lena Chen, Magdalena Kallenberger, Maicyra Leao and Mikala Hyldig Dal.

Maternal Fantasies are recipients of the Artist Advancement Award 2019/20 of the Arthur Boskamp-Stiftung.

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As part of the first Maternal Fantasies Landpartie, the site of the former cement factory becomes a temporary location for filming and action - a rehearsal stage for the group’s first artistic collaboration. A set of rules defined in advance by the collective inspires and structures the artistic working process, involving a varying number of group members and children. The scenes, reminiscent of ‘tableaux vivants’, are staged by alternating directors with an ensemble of their choice in various locations on the vast terrain. The positioning of the protagonists and the staging of a scene oscillates between art historical references from classical paintings to playful improvisations by the mother-child ensemble. Props made with the children - phallic body extensions and concealing masks - are intuitively included, interpreted and modified. The children's "Freeze Game", similar to stop dancing, becomes an artistic method, a photographic and cinematographic strategy. Maternal Fantasies' Landpartie 01 reflects artistic production as collective practice and experience and counters traditional models with contemporary, processual alternatives developed through practical work.

Lanpartie 01 - Sit © Maternal Fantasies

Landpartie 01 - Sand 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Landpartie 01 Room with three 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Landpartie 01 Medusa 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Landpartie 01 Kin 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Landpartie 01 Hide 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Lanpartie 01 - Sit © Maternal Fantasies
Landpartie 01 - Sand 1920 © Maternal Fantasies
Landpartie 01 Room with three 1920 © Maternal Fantasies
Landpartie 01 Medusa 1920 © Maternal Fantasies
Landpartie 01 Kin 1920 © Maternal Fantasies
Landpartie 01 Hide 1920 © Maternal Fantasies

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) (working title) is an experimental essay film by Maternal Fantasies and deals with a contemporary, poetic construction of the discourse on motherhood(s) in cinematic form. In the same way, as it is necessary to question how "society" and similar collective images have their effect on the perception of lifelike themes (see Bruno Latour, Reassembling the Social), the concept of the motherhood needs to be freed from the corset of generalization. Starting material for the experimental essay film are the collectively produced video and sound recordings, performances and texts by maternal fantasies around the thematic field of (maternal) CARE, realized within the framework of the Arthur-Boskamp Förderpreis 2019/20.

The film scenes performed in collaboration with our 12 children - tableaux vivants and play scenes - are to be expanded from January 2020 onwards by the maternal fantasies group.

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s), 16:9, 4K, colour, sound, ca. 30 - 45 minutes

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies

Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies
Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies
Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies
Re-Assembling Motherhood(s) © Maternal Fantasies

Care & Carrying is a live performance (extract 5:30 min, not colour corrected yet) with sound-producing household items, Arthur Boskamp Foundation, April 2019.

To watch an excerpt from the performance, please see below video: