The Womb Experience
Designed to reconnect people with the mother figure, we created a quiet space to soothe the soul amongst the chaos of Burning Man.
Visitors were encouraged to remove their shoes and crawl in one at a time through an 8 foot canal. Upon entering, visitors sink into the experience as their hands, knees and feet make contact with the velvety-latex pillow floor. The sensory experience of crawling into an insular environment is heightened by the light chiffon which brushes faces as guests go deeper into the womb and farther from the sun and dust which plague the existence of Black Rock City dwellers.
After dark, lights which line the entrance portal pulse to the rhythm of a heart beat, enhancing the effect of being cradled within a living body.
Installed at Muse Cafe in Black Rock City, NV August 26- September 2, 2023.
This project was created in collaboration with Terra Milligan, Meghan Carozza, Zac Bron, Johnathan Langer, and Gage Kelly. Recordings by Kathleen Hooper.
Crawling into the womb
Suspended in the Womb
Once inside the canvas dome, visitors could lay in a circular hammock beneath a suspended crystal and put on noise-canceling headphones. While being gently rocked in the hammock, sounds of the city fade away as soothing affirmations a mother come through the headphones.
Twenty minutes of audio aim to provide listeners with loving words they may have heard from a caretaker; or perhaps words they never got to hear but deserve to. “I cherish my time with you. You are so loved. My life is more full with you in it…”
Emerging from the womb
After listening to words that nurture the soul, headphones are removed and the chaotic sounds from outside come buzzing in, signaling the time for departure. Visitors climb down from the hammock and confront the reality of having to withdraw from the safe shelter of a womb. Crawling out through the tunnel through which they initially came in, visitors gradually begin to experience the elements of an outside world anew.
