A stop-motion animation made with oil paintings, The Womb charts the growth of a fetus against a backdrop of images from across the history of humanity projected on the “screen” of the uterine walls. The images cover everything from humanity’s first emergence to the prehistoric era and events from the Bible, the Industrial Revolution, the two World Wars, and the development of today’s advanced technology. We also glimpse the darker aspects of contemporary society, such as constant violent oppression and warfare or the cycles of endless competition and alienation endemic to societies that prioritize development and growth. Disheartened by these bleak images, the fetus first makes numerous futile attempts to evade them by turning away or using a remote control to change the channel. Gradually growing more desperate, the fetus is then driven to seek solace by piercing holes in the uterine wall, in the hope of catching sight of other, more peaceful realities.
