Series of 5 baby blankets, illustrated with encrypted messages from pregnant women.
“HOPE III” reflects on the communicative function of print. The blankets, which are ornamented with encrypted messages, are meant to invigorate a conversation between mother and future child. 5 pregnant women were asked to write a personal message to their unborn baby, who, in turn, can decipher it at a later age to learn more about their thoughts and wishes at the time.
Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s “Hope” and “Hope II”, which depict expecting women desperately praying for their offspring, this envisioned third chapter is meant to explore deeper insight into the thoughts of soon-to-be moms. These insights highlighted their ideas around parenting with challenges of today’s, such as climate change and (evil) technology.
In English tradition, Quilted blankets are recognised as a symbol for family values. Women would make blankets for their babies to strengthen their bond. It’s a sign of care, and at the same time a non-verbal way of communication. The baby blankets we created take this idea further, and can be deciphered using a special augmented reality filter we developed for this project. This way, the messages can be read with ease by just scanning the blankets, as you would with a QR code.
This project was awarded by University of the Arts London in 2020 and was Cypherloom’s first-ever prototype.
Design & Art Direction – Gianni Antonia
Photography by Gianni, Leonie Mathiot, Emma Klip
Production – Eliza Hijzen, Sandra Poulson
Leonie Mathiot, Emma Klip, Claudia Lee, Marc Wood, Sion, Joel Gethin Lewis and 3 anonymous moms.
