‘Contemplation Time’ and ‘Sid Jonah Anderson by Lena Simic’ (2007 – 2008)
Since having my third baby, Sid Jonah Anderson, I have returned to exploring maternal matters. My work has been nurtured and inspired by my involvement and participation at MaMSIE (Mapping Maternal Subjectivities Identities Ethics) research network and the running of The Institute for the Art and Practice of Dissent at Home.
I was particularly moved by Branka Cvjeticanin’s artist residency at the Institute, where she became artist/au pair for two weeks in July 2008. This residency allowed me to name my invisible maternal labour by translating it into underpaid au pair labour. As the Institute family, we have developed a series of Family Picnics (critical interventions into the institution of family) and performed those at greenroom, Hazard and Artsadmin. At each one of those, I performed a Mother. I, myself, have developed two projects: ‘Contemplation Time’ and ‘Sid Jonah Anderson by Lena Simic’.
‘Mother & Son: ‘that just sounds really sad’
Residency at 25 Stratford Grove with Neal Anderson (aged 10), June 2011
