MOTHER-SONG
Josephine Mead
2025
Performing artists: weish, Vahideh Eisaei, Jessica Carne, Angeli Benipayo, 雋然 Rainbow Chan
Multi-channel video installation
Production crew: Cobie Orger, Marty Floro, Andrew Gregory and Justin Villanueva, Klyde Salcedo

MOTHER-SONG is a multi-channel video installation by Josephine Mead that explores notions of mother-tongues, the mother, and home. The work features 5 women performing in different languages: weish performs in Hakka and Cantonese in Singapore; 雋然 Rainbow Chan performs in Weitou in Hong Kong; Vahideh Eisaei performs in Persian in Naarm/Melbourne; Jessica Carne performs in Auslan in Naarm/Melbourne; and Angeli Benipayo performs in Tagalog and German in Manila. For MOTHER, the women perform a song that relates to personal notions of home, in their respective languages. The idea of the song as mother, and the notion of a mother-tongue, is explored through these songs. For SONG, the women perform a translation of Paraisong Parisukat by Basil Valdez— a song first performed by Benipayo at the beginning of the project in 2024. SONG considers the processes of translation, and its limits and possibilities. The work seeks to bring non-English languages to the fore, acting as a counterpoint to the predominance of English in our contemporary art world. In December 2025 the work had a soft premiere in Manila, as part of the ESC Biennale.