Saying It Through The Maternal Body: understanding maternal subjectivity through art practice

Abstract

In referring to psychoanalyst and theorist Julia Kristeva?s claim that the maternal body has no subject, this research aimed at finding answers to the following question: in what ways might a maternal subjectivity be understood through art practice? The research focused on three themes: fragmentation, invisibility and boundaries. Initially, these themes were researched in the context of the maternal body and the abject. The engagement with the maternal body has led to expanding the inquiry to include kibbutz childhood memory, in general, and bodily memories, in particular. This has led to revealing a childhood trauma. It was established that fragmentation, invisibility and questions of boundaries are rooted in trauma. Trauma has been further explored, to be revealed as a sequence of traumas, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and intergenerational trauma, which span private and public spheres. The methodology research in action has been developed through the use of the „observer-participant? position, as well as the methods of persona and performative acts. Installation has been developed as a shared space, where traumatic memory has been re-visited and audience became witness. The research contributes to new knowledge in the field of trauma, in the contexts of maternal subjectivity, kibbutz childhood and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The text provides a critical reflection for the practice, both construct this research.

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