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In Vitro Vibrations // sound, audio cables, headphones, zip ties, PVC, styrene, epoxy, spray paint, acrylic paint // 4' x 12' x 10' // 2008
Though the umbilical cord is cut at birth, we have constructed a complex network which functions like an umbilical cord, extending the body. We are tethered to and dependent upon pipes, roads, and cables – extensions of our digestive tracts, circulatory systems, and nervous systems. There is a continuity between life inside of the womb and life outside of it.
Many later life experiences, from ecstasy to trauma, are intimately related to – and even recreate in an unconscious way – aspects of the basic perinatal experience. In this way, individual emotional life emerges in part from these initial imprints on consciousness. These imprints include a range of experiences from the oceanic feeling of unity to the agony and antagonism of the birth process.
In Vitro Vibrations is a sculptural interface to sound tracks – best experienced with closed eyes – based on intrauterine experiences and the unconscious links that intrauterine imprints have with experiences in later life. The sound track will change periodically throughout the course of the exhibition, reflecting various aspects of life inside of the womb and its lasting impact on human consciousness.