Mothers Myths Monsters | Nov 19 & 21, 2021

This year’s iteration of a curated program initiated in 2017 will feature three short-form pieces centered around the titular fear of becoming like one’s mother and the space/s we make to accommodate this fear. Curator Stefanie Nelson uses this term (coined by the poet Lynn Sukenick) as a starting point for exploration of questions such as how we position ourselves in opposition or agreement with our own mothers, how we shape our relationship with them, and how we judge their mothers’ achievements and failures in relation to our own lives. Is becoming like one’s mother an inescapable fate, or is it a matter of choice? The participating artists – Maya Orchin, Maria Takeuchi (aka ÉMU) and Boris Willis – use a variety of modalities, from dance to digital media to music – to investigate and illuminate this complex topic. 

The featured pieces are: 

flip
By Maya Orchin
Performed by Stefanie Nelson

A solo dance that delves into what it means to be a mother and our relationships to our own mothers. Through discussions about complicated but loving bonds, the piece flips between perspectives and plays with ideas of femininity, exploring roles we give ourselves and those thrust upon us.

Hey Mu!
By Boris Willis

A multimedia project by Boris Willis utilizes animation and virtual projections in a 3D environment, mixing sounds, photos, and videos of the artist’s mother and maternal grandmother. Through stories they tell, the audience is introduced to moments from the past and experiences that shaped the artist as a person. 

undulation
By ÉMU | Maria Takeuchi

An audiovisual piece that expresses the repetitive yet irregular myths of the mother by capturing the movement and the sound of the ocean.The ocean, a symbol of mother, is the birthplace of living things. The tidal force caused by the gravitation of the moon is a mystery of the sacred power of birth. Yet, we are here to repeat whether we want it or avoid it.

Mothers Myths Monsters is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.