Birth of Newborn Becomes Art Exhibit

A performance artist, Marni Kotak, set up a home-birth center at the Microscope Gallery in Brooklyn on October 8. And Tuesday morning at 10:17, the 36-year-old gave birth to a healthy 9-pound, 2-ounce, and 21-inch-long baby boy named Ajax in that very space! It started as "The Birth of Baby X" in the exhibit that Kotak explains shows her art as focusing on everyday life experiences. The gallery space even included a fully stocked refrigerator and portable shower. Kotak tells the Chicago Sun Times she hopes people will see that giving birth is what she calls "the highest form of art". I don't know how "artistic" I was in the birthing room, but I remember I did use a few "colorful" words. A video of Kotak's work, "The Birth of Baby X" will continue to be shown through the length of the exhibit.