mother of mother of mother
Ludwig Forum, Aachen
2021
Knowledge and rituals are often passed on by verbally. The same goes for traditions and rites of one's own family. For Melike Kara, her grandmother was always an important reference point in her life and work. As a shaman in his native Kurdish village, her great-grandfather took care of ancient customs. Her grandmother kept these traditions alive after moving to Germany. Mother of mother of mother (2021) refers indirectly to these experiences and the exchange of the artist and her grandmother; the constancy with which she devoted herself to physical and spiritual healing. The 60 dolls exude vulnerability but also vitality. The fabrics refer directly to the mother's mother, from whose cast-off clothes they were sewn. They are ambivalent beings, embodying trauma and victimhood, but also ongoing healing.
'mother of mother of mother' We inherit the grief and the strength of our mothers, their mothers and their grandmothers. The challenge that our female ancestral lineage has lived through has also created resilience in us and in you, and thus in the wound the healing also blossoms. The gesture/act of forgiveness is at the same time the acceptance of what is and what was. It allows respect for the sacrifices our ancestors made. When we allow to forgive, we heal ourselves and our ancestors and give the space for the resolution of trauma.The moment we open our hearts to our bloodline, past, present and future become one.