Tereza Bušková: Hidden Mothers

This installation features a video and objects created as part of Tereza Bušková’s project Hidden Mothers, conducted in Birmingham and London from 2019 to 2021. The project aimed to empower women, especially migrant mothers facing isolation, drawing inspiration from Victorian photography where mothers hid behind cloths while their infants were photographed.

In contemporary society motherhood’s complexities often remain hidden. Bušková aimed to bring mothers out of the margins, celebrating them through rituals and folklore from various cultures. Her project fostered new connections between the women through participatory workshops like bread and insignia making. It provided a platform for empowerment and solidarity, encouraging mothers to step out from the shadows and reclaim their importance in society.

Image: Bušková, Hidden Mothers, photograph by Carl Gibbons.

This installation is kindly supported by Arts Council England and players of People’s Postcode Lottery.