PRESS RELEASE
MOEDERKOEK: On the Philosophy of the Placenta
Farah Widmer
Exhibition 20 April - 19 May, NDSM Fuse, NDSM-Plein 29, 1033 WC Amsterdam
AMSTERDAM – From April 20th, interdisciplinary artist Farah Widmer will be showing works in ceramics and poetry centered on the subject of the placenta and the porous boundary it represents. www.farahwidmer.com
We all were once attached to one, and yet we know so little about it - the placenta remains one of the least researched and understood organs of the human body. This temporary organ both connects and separates mother and child. Because of this duality, artist Farah Widmer considers it a symbol for the porous boundary between one person and another. Widmer explores this relationship in placentas she has created out of ceramics and poetry.
In her "placenta in poetry form" Widmer describes the symbiosis and separation in relationship to her recently deceased mother. Further investigating the symbolism of the placenta, midwife, activist and philosopher Rodante van der Waal will give a lecture on the philosophy of the placenta. On a personal level, Cynthia Dorrestijn's lecture will share her postnatal experience of mutual creation of perceptions with her newborn.
Visitors will discover the placenta with the help of ceramic models, some realistic, others more abstract. To further encourage our acquaintance with the organ, artist and midwife Nikki Oosterveen will give a workshop during which participants get the chance to touch real placentas and hear about its many functions. By offering visitors this sensory experience, Oosterveen will offer visitors a visceral reconnection with the human body.
Events:
- 20 April 17:00 Opening
- 12 May 16:30 Lecture "The Birth of a Mother" Cynthia Dorrestijn
- 18 May 13:00 Lecture "On the Philosophy of the Placenta" Rodante van der Waal
- 18 May 14:00 Workshop "Touching and Understanding the Placenta" Nikki Oosterveen