In Utero is a collaborative art–science installation that visualises research in fetal and maternal health through sculptural, spatial, and media-based forms. Drawing on advanced fetal MRI and developed in dialogue between artists and a collaborating scientist, the project explores how maternal physical and emotional health may influence fetal brain development. The work was exhibited at the Science Museum London during the Great Exhibition Road Festival.

The installation brings together moving-image sequences of medical scans, a womb-inspired architectural structure, miniature sculptures informed by imaging data, and community engagement activities. Through light, sound, and tactile materials, In Utero creates a sensory environment that evokes the experience of early gestation.

Co-scientist: Dr Julie Sigurdardottir; Co-artists: Sarah Schrimpf, Stiliyana Minkovska

The project also incorporates perspectives gathered through conversations with parents from the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Maternity Voices Partnership. Their lived experiences provided a vital counterpoint to scientific data, offering insight into the everyday conditions that shape pregnancy. These accounts, together with medical imaging references, informed the conceptual and material language of In Utero. By reframing the womb as a space of memory and reflection, the installation invites visitors to consider how community support and maternal well-being contribute to the foundations of early life.