Monuments for Future M/otherhood

Imagine, it’s the year 2050 and artificial wombs are able to carry full-term pregnancies. People born from this will receive an invitation on their eighteenth birthday to visit a monument that exhibits part of the artificial womb. 

Many people report that they feel a strong connection to and have memories of the artificial wombs in which they grew. A visit to the monument therefore marks an important life event. Womb monuments give these people a place to return to. They forge a meaningful connection with the machines that gave them life. 

With this speculative experience, we want to spark new ideas about future reproductive scenarios and family ties. Can we think beyond the current family tree? And how do we experience new forms of kinship and the sense of being part of something bigger than ourselves?

The participating designer is Lisa Mandemaker, in collaboration with DesignLab University of Twente.