Created by: María-Fernanda Cardoso From: Sydney, NSW, Australia

María-Fernanda Cardoso explores the art forms of the animal world through the mating rituals of a tiny eight eyed Australian peacock spider or Maratus.

Like peacocks and birds of paradise, the male Maratus has developed a complex system of courtship display that exhibits its prowess as a dancer, musician and visual artist. Cardoso has recorded their ostentatious mating ritual using HD macro cinematography and a laser vibrometer, capturing their conspicuously colourful dance and the distinctive beat they make with their vibrating abdomens.

In presenting an art form of performance and display that is not created by, or for, humans, Cardoso argues that humans are not alone in their production and appreciation of the arts. The performing spiders that make these artworks are the product of an evolutionary process of sexual selection that has refined and enhanced their sensory apparatus, creating a discerning aesthetic sense controlled by the females, in which each performance’s aim is to perpetuate life over to the next generation.

About the Creator

Maria Fernanda Cardoso blends nature, art, science, and technology to transform unconventional materials into awe-inspiring installations, sculptures, performances, and videos. Her beautiful work invites us to experience the wonders of nature.

She is a recipient of the prestigious Creative Australia Fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts, has exhibited at New York MoMA, the Centre Pompidou, the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, PS1, Fundacion La Caixa in Barcelona, the DAROS Foundation in Zurich, and the Centro Reina Sofia in Madrid.

For more information: mariafernandacardoso.com