Inhabit is a public art project exploring traditions of care within birthing communities in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Established in 2021, it enacts a site of community care and connection at the intersection of birth and reproductive justice, public art and social practice. Ever evolving installation spaces open yearly as public exhibitions or “activations”, with curated workshops focusing on re-centering and healing lived experiences through socially engaged art. Each iteration weaves new connections between art-making and story-sharing in the home while highlighting the diverse range of experiences people carry with them as they journey through parenthood and whānau (family) building, and how our approaches to postpartum care have changed and evolved over time. 

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Making the lived experience of motherhood, care-work and domestic labour visible through art and community, Inhabit cultivates exchange and reflection by witnessing the intimate sharing of stories. Through social exchange and knowledge sharing, visual and oral histories are actively explored during the Inhabit residencies and documented as a part of the ongoing archive that is the projects website.

 

Parenthood is often seen as an obstruction to a creative practice, but if we shift our perspective of the labour of the home, of care, of mothering; can it instead be seen as a valuable site for creative practice? If we reframe the intersection of making and motherhood, how do we then hold and support parents and artists navigating those waters? 

 

Our vision at Inhabit is that every birthing person and growing whānau (family), in Aotearoa, New Zealand is supported, not only through pregnancy and birth, but throughout their entire parenting journey. That support should be diverse, responsive, inclusive and holistic. Wrap around care that nurtures mind, body and soul. We strongly believe that access to creative practices is an important part of this support ecosystem.

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As a social practice project positioned at the intersection of creativity and m/otherhood, where appropriate, each activation is supported by a team of experienced perinatal professionals dedicated to supporting birthing & postpartum families in Aotearoa. Go to the project pages to read more.