Mother’s Group, 2000
Video VHS, 2 tapes, 30 min and 50 min
The concept of the Mothers’ Group is relatively unknown in the Macedonian context. It originated in Western societies because of the lack of family support for new mothers in the big cities. Within these social groups, young mothers are often the most lonely and isolated. The idea for this project derived from my personal two-year experience in one of such groups in Melbourne. I recorded monologues from 8 mothers of different cultural backgrounds about their motherhood. They form two groups connected through two videos. The first video shot in Skopje presents four mothers: Marjonka (38), Eleonora (33), Dragica (35) and Suzie (31). Each of them speaks Macedonian except Suzie, who speaks English. The second video presents four mothers shot in Melbourne: Julia (37), Veronica (35), Rusalka (33), and Liljana -each of them speaks English except Liljana, who speaks Macedonian. (V. Č. 2000)
“ The complex asymmetric balance between motherhood, equality in marriage, and love in different cultural contexts”- Suzana Milevska.
The video Mothers’Group was presented at the group exhibition Perfect Match (public art project), City shopping mall, Skopje, 26-27.01.2001 (curator: Suzana Milevska, participants: Alptekin Huseyin, Bajevic Maja, Boyadjiev Luchezar, Buzek Zdenko, Vujinović Tatjana, Calovski Yane, Chapovska Violeta, Dakić Danica, Grzinic Marina, Smid Aina, Ivanoska Hristina, Janeslieva Slavica, Jocić Jelena, Kaljo Kai, Naskovski Zoran, Ostojić Tanja, Spasovic Dejan, Sterle Sandra, Stojkovic Ana, Toshevski Igor, Rasim), as part of the international project for art and theory Capital and Gender.
“My labour and delivery were pretty good. I felt that it was an initiation of sort. I could really understand why so many traditional cultures have elaborate male initiation ceremony that often involve physical markings and pain, and fear and things where they take adolescent boys to an unknown place where they submit them to all these mysterious rituals. And you don’t hear so much of these kinds of rituals for women, well obviously because women have childbirth to go through! I did feel I was left with some permanent scars from the physical experience, although on one hand it was very empowering, on the other hand for many months after, I went through a grieving process for my body, there were marks and changes to my body that I don’t think I’ve been prepared for.” — Julia (37), Melbourne.
“I think nothing has changed me so much as having a baby. Especially the first months, that is the state of complete devotion, complete exclusion of the outer world. Nothing is more important than the child, bearing in mind both the physical and psychological dependence. It seems that there is nothing else in the world we are prepared to devote ourselves to, so much. Having a child for me was in a way, redefinition and re-examination of many things. it was also a big dilemma between us (with Dule) because we don’t always have the same ideas about bringing up Rebeka. Since the very beginning it has been the cause of big arguments between the two of us. Finally, we both agreed that we are different people, and the child should create her own relationships towards different people and that we don’t have to agree on every question.”
— Marjonka (38), Skopje
— Suzie (31), Skopje
— Eleonora (33), Skopje
— Rusalka (33), Melbourne
— Veronica (35), Melbourne
—Dragica, Skopje
— Liljana (43), Melbourne