Inspiration
The project was inspired by the state of the world right now — the global chaos of wars, migration waves, and economic and energy instability. It made me think about returning to a moment before all of this, before birth, into a protected space where nothing is fragmented yet. I was also influenced by Jean Baudrillard and his critique of capitalism, especially how modern systems attempt to convert everything — even human birth — into a product. The installation presents four different perspectives on birth today: the capitalist, the natural, the human, and the technological.
What it does
Becoming the Unborn is an immersive installation that places the visitor inside a pre-birth, liminal space. Through voice, light, AI-generated films, and XR elements, the viewer experiences four contrasting interpretations of what “birth” represents in our era. It invites the audience to reflect on how identity begins before the world imposes its systems and expectations.
How we built it
We built the piece using a physical installation: a real office water bottle filled with liquid, inside which we placed an embryo doll as a symbolic “pre-birth vessel.” This physical object is paired with short AI-generated films and an immersive VR environment that allows the viewer to explore themselves before birth and experience different perspectives on entering today’s world. A lot of the process was iterative — combining tactile reality with digital immersion to create one continuous emotional experience.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenges were the extremely tight timeline and the complexity of developing a concept that blends physical sculpture with VR immersion. We also had to figure out how to connect the emotional tone of the bottle installation with the AI films and the virtual space so everything felt coherent and unified.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re proud that we managed to fully build the installation within the residency and make all elements — physical, cinematic, and immersive — work together. The project premiered at the IMMENSIVA residency exhibition in Barcelona, where it ran for three days and received excellent feedback from curators and critics.
What we learned
I learned how to design and direct VR experiences — how pacing works, what emotional reactions VR can trigger, and what pitfalls appear when mixing immersion, narration, and physical objects. On the technical side, I gained experience working with Unity, integrating physical materials into a digital workflow, and building a multi-layered installation that connects real objects, AI films, and a full immersive space.
What's next for Becoming the unborn
The next step is to transform the project into a fully interactive VR experience — something closer to a playable ritual or game. The idea is to let participants speak with different characters, explore multiple viewpoints, and dive deeper into the pre-birth environment as if they were an embryo again. More interaction, more emotional presence, and a more personal encounter with the theme.
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