The ReBirth Installation creatively documented my Flotation Tank study through a seamless integration of performance, sculpture and multimedia.

Two attendants were used to guide people through the installation and to enhance the expression of rebirth. The first was a man dressed in a black robe, symbolizing death in a subtle friendly way. He managed the entrance, had people sign in and wait in line. He also told them when it was their time, then led them through a curtain and into a black room, where they waited alone. This black room was used in order to create a transition point and to encourage self-contemplation.

After several minutes, a motherly figure in a white robe greeted the viewer by name. She performed a smudging ritual with sage, purifying them before their journey. Then she led them into the birth canal of the womb. After the viewer decided to crawl out, she led them to the exit. Her purpose was to make the viewer feel comfortable and to put them into an ethereal state of mind. The attendants used a system, making use of several black curtains to ensure each viewer did not come into contact with another viewer, as this would have taken away from the experience.

The birth canal was about 3 feet high, 3 feet wide and 12 feet long, ensuring that one had to crawl to get through it. The canal seamlessly led from the womb to the doorway of the room they were installed in, so that no parts of the room were visible. Towards the end of the canal one had to squeeze through a smaller cervical opening to enter the womb. The womb had a diameter of about 6 foot and a height of about 4 1/2 feet, comfortably fitting one seated or kneeling person while maintaining a feeling of being enclosed in a small place.

The canal and womb were designed in order to represent the nature of a real canal and womb, without going into graphic details that might have distracted viewers from the multimedia work. The birth canal and womb had a wood and chicken wire skeletal structure that was upholstered with a soft cotton and fabric. Natural folds and wrinkles were sewn into the fabric covering the canal and womb. To help the viewer enter a relaxed meditative state, frankincense was burned in the room that the womb was installed in. The slightly warm temperature, soft silky fabric and constant heartbeat soundscape contributed to the calming atmosphere.

Care was taken to ensure that all recognizable parts of the hardware used were not visible to the user. The animations were displayed on a touch screen monitor that was embedded within cocoon-like object. The cocoon like object had a circular window, revealing the animations. The circular shape represents the mandala, an archetypal form, representing the self and the universe. The viewer was able to navigate through the network of experiences by simply touching elements on the screen. Consistent visual clues, such as a white back glow on objects signaled to the viewer that an element was touchable.

The "ReBirth" installation symbolized the returning to the womb and to the selfless state of a fetal mind, a place where archetypal images and the interconnectedness of all things can be found.

Visit the Installation section of this website to view photos of the walkthrough, animation and construction.

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