The M Wall is a travelling collection of work dedicated to the subject of perinatal mental health and its interconnection with Art. The works included in the collection, form a visual depiction of the artists’ struggles, ways of coping and of coming to terms with their personal maternal experiences. They challenge society’s attitudes to maternal subjectivity and raise the question of how art can support, reinforce and promote good mental health.
The aim of the collection is to tour across the country in a variety of exhibition venues, conferences and seminars, with the intention of raising awareness of, and opening up a conversation around the subjects and issues depicted within the works.
As well as showing in public spaces, we are also encouraging individuals to host the collection within the privacy of their own domestic home settings. In this case the project will take the title of ‘The M Wall: Home Visits’.
Becoming a mother pushes a woman from one stage of life to another without really being asked if everything is ok. There may be feelings of fear and isolation leaving them with an overriding sense of inadequacy. This is often hidden away by its very nature, taking place both internally and inside the domestic space of home life and child rearing. Throughout pregnancy there are regular checks with a midwife, but it is on a very superficial level only looking at the pregnancy objectively as a physical condition. After birth, there are a few home visits from the health visitor, again on a very superficial level. In modern society women are often assumed to be and expected to be fine after the birth of their children. Motherhood, after all, is always presented to us as rewarding and not problematic although this is an assumption that cannot be backed up. Placing The M Wall inside a domestic space, having it in fact make a Home Visit, refers to this very hidden problem.
The M Wall has been travelling since May 2019 and these are the places we have exhibited:
We are running workshops for pregnant women up to a year after giving birth including Maternal Journal. Should you need further information or are interested in hosting the M Wall in your house, or would like to buy a copy of any of the exhibiting work please contact us [email protected]
The aim of the collection is to tour across the country in a variety of exhibition venues, conferences and seminars, with the intention of raising awareness of, and opening up a conversation around the subjects and issues depicted within the works.
As well as showing in public spaces, we are also encouraging individuals to host the collection within the privacy of their own domestic home settings. In this case the project will take the title of ‘The M Wall: Home Visits’.
Becoming a mother pushes a woman from one stage of life to another without really being asked if everything is ok. There may be feelings of fear and isolation leaving them with an overriding sense of inadequacy. This is often hidden away by its very nature, taking place both internally and inside the domestic space of home life and child rearing. Throughout pregnancy there are regular checks with a midwife, but it is on a very superficial level only looking at the pregnancy objectively as a physical condition. After birth, there are a few home visits from the health visitor, again on a very superficial level. In modern society women are often assumed to be and expected to be fine after the birth of their children. Motherhood, after all, is always presented to us as rewarding and not problematic although this is an assumption that cannot be backed up. Placing The M Wall inside a domestic space, having it in fact make a Home Visit, refers to this very hidden problem.
The M Wall has been travelling since May 2019 and these are the places we have exhibited:
- One Paved Court Gallery, Richmond (London), May 2019
- Womenhouse Revisited exhibition, Hackney (London), June 2019
- Institute of Health Visitors conference 2019, Woburn House, Tavistock Square (London), September 2019
- Charlie's house, first 'HomeVisit', Twickenham (London) October 2019
- Whittington Hospital, part of the Whittington Health Capital Midwife coffee morning, November 2019
We are running workshops for pregnant women up to a year after giving birth including Maternal Journal. Should you need further information or are interested in hosting the M Wall in your house, or would like to buy a copy of any of the exhibiting work please contact us [email protected]