This project was created for my friends, family and very own daughter, just weeks before she was born. We (me and my partner) took the traditional road and decided to keep her gender a secret to everyone, including us. The only information we had during the whole pregnancy were her two potential female/male names, medical records and some recordings of her heartbeat. With the aid of 'Luvion's Angel Sound Doppler' I was able to listen to her heartbeat. These very special and unreal moments were key for the design of the birth announcement cards.
A plotter installation was set up consisting of an amplifier, speaker, paper and a green childrens marker hanging from a piece of string. By playing the audio track (recorded 14 days before birth), the amplifier enabled the speakers and piece of paper to resonate, leaving a marker trace behind. After many tweaks and adjustments in the installation a perfect circle was created.
With todays incredible technology it is almost possible to see, hear, feel and know everything pre-birth! We challenged ourselves not to be mislead by technology, tested our patience and preserved the mystery. One hundred and fifty "empty" cards were created, waiting to be filled out by hand.. my partner's to be exact! Lucky for him her name turned out to be Mina and not longer.