29 March - 14 September 2025
Supermom. Regretful parent. Raven mom. Single mom. Conscious non-mother. Wish mother. Bonus mother. Adoptive mother. Co-mother. Never-mother. Motherhood has countless variations. Good Mom/Bad Mom is an exhibition about motherhood, about caregiving, about the politics of the womb, about emancipation.
The exhibition offers a contemporary reflection on the art historical cliché of the "good mother" and takes visitors on a journey through the history of the representation of motherhood: from time-honored, stereotypical, and often romanticized depictions of mother and child to works by new and exciting generations of artists who engage with this theme in their own unique—and often deeply personal—ways. In thematic cabinets—"time capsules"—topics like abortion and self-determination are given historical and social context, thus offering starting points for discussion.
With Good Mom/Bad Mom, the Centraal Museum unravels the clichés, myths, and stigmas of motherhood and creates space for a more emancipated parenthood.