Supermama. Regretful parent. Raven mother. Single mom. Consciously non-mother. Wishing mother. Bonus mom. Adoptive mother. Co-mother. Never mother. There are countless variants of motherhood. Good Mom/Bad Mom is an exhibition about motherhood, about caring, 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 imagination of motherhood: from ancient, stereotypical and often romanticized mother-and-child imaginations to works by new and exciting generations of artists who deal with this theme in their own — and often very personal — way. In thematic cabinets - “time capsules” - topics such as abortion and self-determination are given a historical and social interpretation and thus provide 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 parenting. ‍

After the birth of his daughter River, Edward Clydesdale Thomson decided to build a shelter for her to protect against the effects of climate. Rubber boots isolate against lightning strikes and are filled with cement for stability. The shelter has wooden roof tiles to protect her from rain and wind. A bed is fashioned from outgrown clothes and a kite, gifted to him by his father, serves both as a beacon and to rotate the shelter away from the wind.