(M)OTHERLODE

On Mar. 10, The Femme Folk Festival hosted (M)otherload; the first of two research- based installations led by Catherine Mellinger and Kristyna Balaban. The installation took place at the visitors Centre in Waterloo from 12 p.m.–3 p.m., and will happen again in the same location on Tuesday Mar.ch 11 from 12-3pm.

This installation is a part of a larger artistic project by Balaban and Mellinger that will culminate in a video based geometric dome installation to be presented in fall 2025.

(M)otherload features a variety of participatory based activities for audience members to engage with. These activities center a focus on building empathy and understanding parenting.

Two impossible games were available to try—a ball-based throwing exercise and an impossible matching game. The intended outcome was to ask the participant to engage in a seemingly simple task that becomes impossible —akin to parenting.

The installation also features places for participants to write down their thoughts on aspects of parenting, with helpful guides and keywords to aim their discussion. Balaban and Mellinger hope that these discussions will lead as a jumping off point for material and visual aesthetics to guide their video project.

“We’re hoping for people that are not parents to come. These are the people that are gaining empathy,” Mellinger said..

 “Both of us are really interested in enticing empathy in our work. [..] We want people to look at this and say ‘Did I even think about what my mom, or sister, or father, or trans sibling might be thinking about when they are going through this?’,” she said.

The research stage will be speaking with default parents, but the final piece is going to be geared towards a more general audience.

Caregivers of all backgrounds and invited to drop by and participate in this research.