"Mutterschaft"

Video (VHS), color, sound, 23 sec, loop

I have rarely seen a stranger scene. A man, of whom you can only see the upper part of his body, is sitting at a table with friends, who can only be heard, but not seen. A dog is standing next to the man, suckling two puppies. With one hand the man grabs her, strokes her head and then firmly takes hold of her collar. At the same time you can hear him indistinctly saying things like ‘Aaah, come here’. The scene lasts for 30 seconds; Anna Jermolaewa looped it to create her video Motherhood (all work 1999).
But what is actually so strange about this scene? First, it is odd that this seemingly trivial moment is being shown at all. But watching it, you gradually realise that there is something beyond the apparently accidental way it was shot. Early impressions, fostered not least by the title Motherhood (an uncommon expression in German these days), are of care, sympathy and tenderness, set within the framework of social interaction. But the bitch does not pay attention to her puppies, and while they greedily suck her teats she stretches across to the man. Perhaps she cannot look after her puppies because the man is pulling her towards him by her collar. However, as what is going on is unclear, the scene generates a mood of subtle violence.
http://www.jermolaewa.com/motherhood.html