Trailer for the “Bonnes Mères” exhibition
The Mucem is hosting [Re]production for a day of lectures and discussions, which will conclude with a meeting with singer Camille to discuss her project “The Sound of Milk”
The maternal figure is a common theme in artistic representations. The professional realities of artists who are mothers, however, remain largely overlooked.
The Mucem is hosting [Re]production, a project founded by visual artists Nour Awada and Emilie McDermott that examines the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists who are also mothers in France. Supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Equality and Diversity Mission, it is the first systematic study conducted in France to examine the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists.
[Re]production sheds light on structural inequalities, lived experiences, and strategies of resistance that emerge in these often-invisible life trajectories. The lectures and discussions will enrich the exhibition’s perspectives by addressing motherhood from political and professional angles, particularly within the field of contemporary art.
As a follow-up to the “Bonnes Mères” exhibition, this roundtable discussion will bring together artists and curators to explore the conditions of artistic creation. How do women artists integrate motherhood into their careers? What role does the art world, as a social and economic system, assign to mothers?
The program
Day of conferences and discussions
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Introduction by curators Caroline Chenu (Research Fellow at Mucem), Anne-Cécile Mailfert (President of the Fondation des Femmes), and Irène Basilis (Ministry of Culture, Equality and Diversity Unit, subject to confirmation)
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Opening Lecture: Nour Awada and Emilie McDermott, artists and co-founders of the [Re]production research project, which examines the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists who are also mothers.
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lilalune Collective’s show *Féministe, ta mère!*
How can one be a mother, an artist, and a feminist? Why should the fight for equality stop at the threshold of motherhood? How can we raise our children free from sexist stereotypes? What if we gave ourselves the chance to better understand what mothers go through?
Marie Bringuier, Nathalie Matti, and Marie-Emilie Michel present a theatrical performance that explores feminism and motherhood, drawing on literary and anthropological texts as well as songs to examine the subject and challenge preconceptions.
2:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Roundtable discussion with the curators and artists featured in the exhibition: Amande Art, Nour Awada, Claude Como, Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Souad El Maysour, Mâkhi Xenakis
Moderator: Caroline Chenu
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Phantosmie, a performance by Emilie Mc Dermott.
Camille, “The Sound of Milk”
Meet Camille and get a sneak peek at the audio journal “Naissance”
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Interview moderated by Olivia Gesbert, journalist and literary director.
To wrap up the day, singer and artist-mother Camille will present “The Sound of Milk,” her upcoming album set for release in the fall of 2026. Conceived as a triptych, this project—recorded over more than 15 years (the age of her eldest son)—will revolve around three themes: birth, childhood, and adolescence, through which Camille explores the connections between motherhood, legacy, and creativity.
Ranging from an intimate audio diary captured within the family setting to luminous, orchestrated pop, the album celebrates joy as a vital force in troubled times and examines what we pass on to future generations.
The event will begin with a listening session featuring the first part of the album, “Naissance”—an intimate, family-oriented audio diary—followed by a discussion with Olivia Gesbert and the audience.
The Mucem is hosting [Re]production for a day of lectures and discussions, which will conclude with a meeting with singer Camille to discuss her project “The Sound of Milk”
Trailer for the “Bonnes Mères” exhibition
The maternal figure is a common theme in artistic representations. The professional realities of artists who are mothers, however, remain largely overlooked.
The Mucem is hosting [Re]production, a project founded by visual artists Nour Awada and Emilie McDermott that examines the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists who are also mothers in France. Supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Equality and Diversity Mission, it is the first systematic study conducted in France to examine the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists.
[Re]production sheds light on structural inequalities, lived experiences, and strategies of resistance that emerge in these often-invisible life trajectories. The lectures and discussions will enrich the exhibition’s perspectives by addressing motherhood from political and professional angles, particularly within the field of contemporary art.
As a follow-up to the “Bonnes Mères” exhibition, this roundtable discussion will bring together artists and curators to explore the conditions of artistic creation. How do women artists integrate motherhood into their careers? What role does the art world, as a social and economic system, assign to mothers?
The program
Day of conferences and discussions
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Introduction by curators Caroline Chenu (Research Fellow at Mucem), Anne-Cécile Mailfert (President of the Fondation des Femmes), and Irène Basilis (Ministry of Culture, Equality and Diversity Unit, subject to confirmation)
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Opening Lecture: Nour Awada and Emilie McDermott, artists and co-founders of the [Re]production research project, which examines the impact of motherhood on the careers of female artists who are also mothers.
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lilalune Collective’s show *Féministe, ta mère!*
How can one be a mother, an artist, and a feminist? Why should the fight for equality stop at the threshold of motherhood? How can we raise our children free from sexist stereotypes? What if we gave ourselves the chance to better understand what mothers go through?
Marie Bringuier, Nathalie Matti, and Marie-Emilie Michel present a theatrical performance that explores feminism and motherhood, drawing on literary and anthropological texts as well as songs to examine the subject and challenge preconceptions.
2:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Roundtable discussion with the curators and artists featured in the exhibition: Amande Art, Nour Awada, Claude Como, Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Souad El Maysour, Mâkhi Xenakis
Moderator: Caroline Chenu
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Phantosmie, a performance by Emilie Mc Dermott.
Camille, “The Sound of Milk”
Meet Camille and get a sneak peek at the audio journal “Naissance”
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Interview moderated by Olivia Gesbert, journalist and literary director.
To wrap up the day, singer and artist-mother Camille will present “The Sound of Milk,” her upcoming album set for release in the fall of 2026. Conceived as a triptych, this project—recorded over more than 15 years (the age of her eldest son)—will revolve around three themes: birth, childhood, and adolescence, through which Camille explores the connections between motherhood, legacy, and creativity.
Ranging from an intimate audio diary captured within the family setting to luminous, orchestrated pop, the album celebrates joy as a vital force in troubled times and examines what we pass on to future generations.
The event will begin with a listening session featuring the first part of the album, “Naissance”—an intimate, family-oriented audio diary—followed by a discussion with Olivia Gesbert and the audience.
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