Artificial Womb - Xu Mingxi

  • Published on 18 fév. 2023 by xxming
Artificial Womb sound art Design et traitement sonores soundscape

This work is intended to help build the bond between babies born through ectogenesis and their families, for postpartum recovery treatment, and to stimulate and develop the newborn’s hearing. This soundscape is divided into four stages: Oosperm and Embryo, Cell Division, Becoming a Human, and Newborn.

The artificial womb is a device that would allow for ectogenesis - gestation outside the human body, in an artificial environment built to precisely mimic the womb and carry the fetus to term. In the future, growing embryos in artificial wombs will become a commonly accepted form of fertility. Artificial wombs can make childbearing accessible to people who cannot otherwise fulfil their dream of having a biological child, such as individuals who have undergone sex reassignment surgery from, say, male to female, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those who suffer uterine incapacity but don’t want to consider surrogacy (using IVF).
 
In the case of an artificial womb, there are questions as to whether human ectogenesis might further challenge what has been considered as the inviolable bond between mother and child. Solving how to maintain the bond between mother, family, and child in an artificial womb is the key point.
 
According to current research, womb-like sounds may be a powerful tool in aiding cardiorespiratory stability, pain mitigation, and sleep promotion in infants. Recreating other womb sensory experiences is also beneficial. For instance, maternal stimulation and involvement lead to better results for infants born early with practices like kangaroo care.