M.Paradoxa is an artists collective of five artists. Their name M.Paradoxa comes from the protozoa Mixotricha paradoxa, which lives inside the gut of an Australian termite, or as Lynn Margulis would call it, “the beast with five genomes”. It originated from an unruly symbiogenesis between different life forms, from living-close-together in a vast ocean of unexpected encounters. The group finds their thoughts and methods very much mirrored in this tale of intimacy and coexistence, therefore adopting its name, while creating works that reflect the world inhabited by mixotricha paradoxa.
Inspired by Swiss artist Doris Stauffer’s ouvre, the group came together to extend their art practices from singular entities to a multiple one. It began with the opportunity to rekindle connectedness by sharing skills through playful games that they invented for each other. These actions promoted an environment of reciprocal empathy and kindness that enabled them to safely share their vulnerabilities, whilst still providing constructive criticism but most importantly by surprising each other with their different ways of thinking.
They believe in solidarity, becoming entangled, and sensing each other through chemistry as if part of one organism. They explore how it is possible to function and move together, loving and echoing each other, and delighting in the unexpected paradoxical outcomes. By stepping out of the “individual artist” (Balca Ergener, Esther Schena, Linda Strähl, Lisa Biedlingmaier and Ziqi Jiang) canon, they were able to venture into new spaces, setting a gentle guide for whoever wants to join, working towards a more benevolent society that cherishes human beings and the natural world in all their complexity.
The M.Paradoxa is a paradox well worth having, it’s perhaps one of the most important lessons: how do we, as social beings, negotiate with each other’s vastly different perspectives, how do we appreciate and allow space for each other’s strategies, but also how do we share response-ability in the community.