Good Mom/Bad Mom

Unraveling the Mother Myth.

From March 28 to September 14, 2025, the exhibition Good Mom/Bad Mom – Unraveling the Mother Myth will be on display at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. This large-scale group exhibition focuses on the many forms of motherhood: from ancient myths about 'good mothers' to contemporary, often personal reflections by new generations of artists.

The depiction of mother and child is one of the most well-known motifs in art history: in the Centraal Museum’s collection, there are dozens of often romanticized portraits of the Virgin Mary and her baby Jesus. With Good Mom/Bad Mom the museum breaks away from the cliché of the 'good mother' and deconstructs the myths surrounding motherhood by presenting perspectives that have long been invisible. The exhibition highlights themes such as the desire for children, loss, roles beyond traditional biological motherhood, emancipation, and self-determination. Through a transhistorical lens, artists such as Louise Bourgeois & Tracey Emin, Rineke Dijkstra, Marlene Dumas, Luchita Hurtado, Camille Henrot, Käthe Kollwitz, Tala Madani, Patricia Kaersenhout, Charley Toorop, and Billie Zangewa explore motherhood, care, and self-determination in all its facets.

So, come and visit Good Mom/Bad Mom and discover the often personal stories behind their works, dive into the historical developments of societal issues like abortion, and navigate the myths and stigmas of motherhood toward emancipated parenting.

The exhibition is curated by guest curator Heske ten Cate and contemporary art curator Laurie Cluitmans.

Publication

A comprehensive publication will accompany the exhibition. Mothering Myths: An ABC on Art, Birth and Care is a book, edited by Laurie Cluitmans and Heske ten Cate, designed by Bart de Baets, and published by Valiz. The book is a sequel to the award-winning publication On the Necessity of Gardening, which was released in conjunction with the exhibition The Botanical Revolution and won the Goldene Letter, the world’s most prestigious book design award.