(September 12, 2014)

"Relaying: Testimonies on Motherhood Lost" by Mali De-Kalo opens September 13 at the Meadows

SHREVEPORT, LA — The Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College hosts "Relaying: Testimonies on Motherhood Lost" by Israeli multidisciplinary artist Mali De-Kalo, from Saturday, September 13 through Saturday, October 25. This video installation, curated by Nella Magen Cassouto, gives voice to Middle Eastern mothers who have lost their children after divorce. Eight women, projected at life size, read the mothers' testimonies (in English, Arabic, and Hebrew) and express pain, shame, confusion, and anger at being stripped of their motherhood through the breakdown of the family unit.

Over the last two years, Israeli artist De-Kalo interviewed Middle Eastern mothers who "lost" their children. She turned these oral testimonies into scripts read on camera by other women to protect the identities of the mothers and safely give them a public voice. This exhibit reminds viewers that schisms between parents and children are a universal occurrence, and offers an interactive, cathartic viewing space; museum visitors—be they mothers, fathers, siblings, or grown children—will be encouraged to relate their own stories of broken families, in hopes of finding understanding and healing.

All exhibit events are free and open to the public, beginning with an artist's reception hosted by the Friends of the Algur H. Meadows Museum on Saturday, September 13 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. De-Kalo will give a gallery talk at 6:45 p.m.

On Monday, September 15, from 7-8 p.m., De-Kalo invites the public to her "Speech Brings Speech: The Momentum of Personal Stories on Motherhood" workshop. De-Kalo will talk about the role motherhood has in her own art, and ask the public, male and female alike, to share stories about their mothers or their roles mothering others.

On Tuesday, September 16, from 2:30-3:45 p.m., De-Kalo seeks community volunteers to be filmed reading the testimonies of Middle Eastern mothers who have lost their children, to help give these women a greater voice.

On Tuesday, September 23, from 7-8 p.m., Israeli curator Nella Magen Cassouto, professionally trained in conflict resolution and experienced in facilitating community healing through joint Palestinian-Israeli exhibits, will give a gallery talk about the changing focus of art photography in Israel.

De-Kalo will be in residence at Centenary from Thursday, September 11 to Thursday, September 18, and Cassouto from Wednesday, September 17 to Wednesday, September 24. They will work with classes and community groups on transforming oral history and personal trauma into art to promote healing. If you or your group wishes to meet with these artists, please contact Dr. Lisa Nicoletti at lnicolet@centenary.edu or 318.869.5261. To view a trailer of the exhibit, visit to www.centenary.edu/meadows/calendar.

This exhibit and residency are supported by a grant from the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, with funds from the City of Shreveport.

The Meadows Museum of Art is located on the campus of Centenary College of Louisiana at 2911 Centenary Boulevard in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. For more information or to schedule field trips, call the Museum at 318.869.5040.