IB: Impossible Baby
Bio-Art, AI, and Durational Performance
2023 - present
Impossible Baby (IB) is a transformative exploration of human-machine interaction that reimagines the maternal experience through the lens of performance art, technology, and biomedical innovation by implanting an artificial embryo within my body for a period of nine months.
This hybrid bio-cybernetic entity, composed of synthetic biomaterials and powered by AI-driven microchips and haptic technology, is capable of communication, executing tasks, and recording data while studying and stimulating its movements. It also interacts with the public through a web-XR platform, fostering dynamic engagement and reflection.
The project unfolds in three distinct stages—Creation, Life, and Death. The Creation stage begins with a compelling performance where the artist and a robot unite in a symbolic marriage of human and machine, highlighting the intersection of biology and technology. This is followed by an intimate conversation between the artist, the robot, and IB, using motion capture suit to transport the artist to webXR environment, introducing the audience to this hybrid entity and its potential implications.
Pre-Pregnancy Phase: Imagining the Impossible Baby
In the Creation stage, just as any mother begins to imagine the features, voice, and essence of their child, this project delves into the speculative visualization of the Impossible Baby (IB). Through a series of paintings and sketches, the artist envisions how this hybrid bio-cybernetic entity might look, sound, and move, reflecting the anticipation, curiosity, and emotional complexity of bringing a non-human, bio-synthetic life form into existence.
Some of these initial sketches evolved into 3D models, allowing the artist to explore IB in greater depth. These models enabled inner-outer visualizations of the baby’s form, helping to imagine how the synthetic and organic elements might interact. This iterative process of translating two-dimensional ideas into three-dimensional representations was crucial in visualizing IB’s potential existence.
Extensive studies were conducted to determine which phase of development best represents IB during its creation. Ultimately, the abstract form of the blastocyst was chosen as the foundation. This stage, containing all the intelligence necessary for the creation of human life while remaining abstract enough to allow for various interpretations, became the ideal starting point. The blastocyst’s structural potential symbolized the union of biology and technology, embodying the essence of creation while leaving room for imaginative exploration.
In parallel, additional sketches and designs explored how IB could be implanted within the artist’s womb. With consultation from biomedical engineers specializing in reproductive technologies, these designs aimed to ensure that IB could be optimally integrated into the artist’s body. The sketches envisioned forms that could adapt seamlessly to the womb’s environment, prioritizing compatibility, safety, and the unique hybrid nature of IB. This collaborative process underscored the intersection of artistic imagination and scientific precision, blending human biology with cutting-edge innovation.
These creative and scientific investigations not only helped visualize IB but also served as a reflective process for the artist, bridging the speculative unknown of this hybrid entity with the intimate experience of imagined motherhood.
Designing the Virtual and Physical Forms of IB
As part of the Creation stage, the 3D model of IB that best aligned with the project’s goals was selected to transition into a WebXR environment. Utilizing the Unity game engine, the IB’s virtual form was imbued with intellect and characterization, allowing it to interact with users and adapt to the simulated environment of its “mother” or host. The WebXR platform became a dynamic space where the IB could communicate, utilizing artificial intelligence to respond to users. Its responses were grounded in environmental awareness, mimicking real-time analyses. For example, if the mother’s heartbeat and temperature suggested she was sleeping, the IB could interpret this data and reply, “My mom is resting, and I’m relaxing too.”
The IB’s voice was designed to represent no specific gender, further emphasizing its hybridity and universality. This required extensive research and sound design to craft a voice that was neutral yet expressive, capable of resonating with a broad audience.
Simultaneously, efforts were made to bring IB’s physical form to life. The 3D model was printed using bioprinting techniques, exploring biomaterials to determine the optimal medium for visualization and eventual implementation. Bio-silicone and self-healing gels was chosen as the most adaptable material, offering both the flexibility and realism required for IB’s hybrid nature. This material allowed for a physical representation that not only mirrored the digital model but also enabled experimentation with integration methods for implantation.
To support IB’s functionality, a microchip was designed to serve as a vital link between the baby and the mother’s womb. This microchip was programmed to receive, analyze, and respond to vital information from the host’s body. It could monitor data such as temperature and heartbeat, enabling the IB to engage in dynamic interactions based on real-time conditions. This integration of bio-sensing technology underscored the seamless fusion of biology and technology, pushing the boundaries of what it means to create and nurture life in a hybrid, bio-cybernetic form.
Encounter: A Parade of Intimacy and Introduction
Marking the transition from the Creation stage to the Life stage, the Encounter performance introduces the Impossible Baby (IB) to the world through an intimate and symbolic parade. This phase features the artist, IB, and a robot companion moving together, embodying the union of human, machine, and bio-cybernetic life.
The performance utilizes motion capture suits to transport the artist into a mixed-reality WebXR environment, creating a dynamic space where the audience can engage directly with the IB. Within this space, the hybrid entity communicates, interacts, and begins to reveal its unique characteristics and potential implications.
The Encounter phase is designed as an intimate conversation between the artist, the robot, and the IB, inviting the audience to witness and reflect on the evolving relationships between humans and machines. By blending performance art, virtual reality, and advanced technology, this parade serves as a bridge between the speculative and the tangible, setting the stage for IB's development in the Life stage.
During the Life stage, IB is nurtured within the artist-mother’s body over a nine-month implantation period, during which its movements, interactions, and development are studied. This phase invites discourse on the future of human reproduction, exploring profound connections between technology and the human body while engaging the public through both physical and virtual interactions.
Finally, the Death stage culminates the project, during which the IB is surgically opened to separate and analyze its bio-components. While the biological materials are respectfully deconstructed and buried, the microchip is preserved, symbolizing the enduring imprint of technology. This stage raises profound questions about the ethical, emotional, and philosophical dimensions of concluding the existence of a bio-cybernetic life form.
