An exciting new exhibition opening on Friday night — ‘Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise’ — puts a magnifying glass on tiny spiders. Cardoso is a Colombian-born artist who is internationally renowned for using unconventional and organic materials to consider nature and its links to culture and science.

‘Spiders of Paradise’ is part of a photographic series Cardoso has been working on since 2018. The subject is the tiny Australian Maratus spider — measuring less than 5mm in size — magnified in photographs measuring over 1.5 metres square. Highlighted are the spiders’ unique, brightly coloured abdomens which form part of their elaborate mating rituals.

The series has been produced in collaboration with scientific imager Geoff Thompson and entomologist Andy Wang from the Queensland Museum. Each image is made up from more than 1000 individual photographs, which reveal stunning colour combinations and form in incredible detail.

Also part of the exhibition is a floor-to-ceiling projection of the video 'On the Origins of Art I-II' which presents the complex courtship ritual of the Maratus at an immersive scale. It showcases the spiders’ sophisticated communication through dance and vibration, culminating in the display of their colourful patterned abdominal flap.

‘Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise’ is an exhibition developed and toured by the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Also opening on Friday night is a photographic and video exhibition by Hill End artist Nicole Welch. ‘Unveiling the Night’ reveals Welch’s local nocturnal habitat through night-vision camera traps.

The opening event for both exhibitions is 6-8pm Friday, March 6. Prior to the opening, at 5.30pm, ‘Spiders of Paradise’ curator Manya Sellers will give a floor talk in the exhibition. Open to all and no bookings required.

The gallery is open daily from 10am to 4pm, and entry is always FREE.

For more information, please visit Orange Regional Gallery’s website www.orange.nsw.gov.au/gallery