The DCA are opening a new exhibition this week which looks at the nature of motherhood through media

Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) will host the award-winning touring show Acts of Creation: On Art and Motherhood from 19 April to 13 July 2025.

Curated by Hettie Judah with Hayward Gallery Touring, this extensive group exhibition examines the multifaceted nature of motherhood through over 100 works in painting, photography, sculpture, sound, and film.  

With more than 60 artworks by modern and contemporary artists including Tracey Emin, Paula Rego, Chantal Joffe, Mary Kelly, and Wangechi Mutu, the show considers motherhood itself as an artwork, exploring the subjects of creation, maintenance, and loss.

From the paradises and traumatas to the myths and mishaps, Acts of Creation speaks a varied story that crosses over into concerns of gender, care-giving, and reproductive rights in the present.

They can anticipate seeing forceful works such as Mary Kelly's Post-Partum Document, Paula Rego's abortion etchings, and Celia Paul's close-up portraits of her son.

The exhibition also includes gut-wrenching work that addresses miscarriage, involuntary childlessness, and the day-to-day reality of caring.

Acts of Creation has been praised for its candid and unflinching portrayal of motherhood.

The Guardian described it as a "terrific touring anthology of contemporary art in every medium about the twin acts of making art and children," commending its exploration of birth, loss, ambivalence, wonder, and exhaustion.

The public is welcome to visit the exhibition on Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm, and on Thursdays until 7pm, with late openings. Admission for the public is free.