Womb Walk

How is our concept of family shaped by the rapidly expanding technological possibilities, and shifting understandings of gender, sexuality, identity, and intelligence? What new issues arise with the expanding use of assistive reproductive technology including in vitro fertilization, egg/ sperm donation, surrogacy, egg/embryo freezing, DNA testing, and gene editing? These reproductive questions impact our lives but are rarely acknowledged publicly. As these tools become increasingly data-driven, how do our relationships to privacy, surveillance, networks, and family change? What is connection?

Despite society’s emphasis on “information” and “transparency,” issues of reproduction are rarely discussed openly. The womb becomes a black box as topics of female sexuality and health are seen as shameful or trivial, and we collectively fail to grapple with the racist and ableist history of eugenics, contraception, and other technologies of reproductive control. At the same time, the medical-industrial birth complex aims to position itself as the sole keepers of the technical knowledge to deliver desired reproductive futures. This performance stands in acknowledge of all the queer, trans, nonbinary, two-spirit, BIPOC, women, people with reproductive organs, doulas, and midwives that have been the original biohackers.

Womb Walk is part of the Surrogate project by Lauren Lee McCarthy. Design by Stefanie Tam. This project was supported in part by KW Institute for Contemporary Art for Open Secret.

Questions? Please contact studio.laurenleemccarthy@gmail.com.