Performative Motherhood: The Myth of Mother Poland Re-Interpreted by Women Artists in Contemporary Poland
Performative Motherhood: The Myth of Mother Poland Re-Interpreted by Women Artists in Contemporary Poland

Summary/Abstract: In this article, we analyze the artwork of three contemporary Polish artists, Ewa Wójciak, Marta Frej and Cecylia Malik, in order to understand the issue of performative motherhood as depicted in their artwork/performances. The works of art of Polish artists analyzed here touch upon the topic of motherhood in various ways; all of them, however, deal with a myth deeply rooted in Polish culture: the myth of Mother Poland. The performative references of the artists to motherhood reconfigure the traditional comprehension of the roles of mothers, and engage with this myth, not by refusing the role of mother, but by redefining it.

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