Symphonic Birth Grounds, 2002

This interactive installation combines light, sound, sculpture and interactive technology. Shapes based on the first 28 days of a human embryo are placed in pools of coloured light inside flowerpots. When moved within the light, the shapes generate sounds based on what a fetus hears inside the mother's womb.
This installation is about the wonder of human life. The most amazing transformations take place in the early life of an embryo. By touching and moving the shapes, the viewer can create his/her own soundscape. This work itself touches on the delicate subject matter of artificial recreation, biotechnology and research done on live embryos.

Much of van ’t Klooster’s work is inspired by medical imaging techniques. Her work is a poetical exploration of the very early stages of the creation of human life and subtly explores ethical and political issues raised by developments in medical science. The work makes us marvel at the ingenuity of the natural world without ignoring the contribution of modern technologies.

Symphonic Birth Grounds (snippet of documentation) from Adinda van 't Klooster on Vimeo.

Materials: Webcam, Ibook, soundcard, 4 speakers, LiSa, Big Eye, jesmonite shapes, flowerpots, lights, perspex, filters

Concept, sculpture, sound and design by Adinda van ’t Klooster

Big Eye programming by Robert van Heumen at STEIM in the Netherlands, 2003