Duda Paiva & Lavinia Meijer | Animalia Paradoxa

'God created, Linnaeus organized'. This is how Carl Linnaeus, the famous eighteenth-century Swedish physician, botanist, zoologist and geologist described his contribution to science. Centuries later, his classification system is still used worldwide, as are many of the names he gave to individual species, such as the name for man: Homo sapiens.

Linnaeus made a survey of all plant and animal species in the world in order to unravel the secret of creation. To his work - the Systema Naturae - he added a curious list: the Animalia Paradoxa, the species that are unclassifiable.We zoom in on that chapter.
Animalia Paradoxa is a unique collaboration between Duda Paiva and Lavinia Meijer. Together they dive into the world of the Swedish scientist and look at it from his perspective. They bring Linnaeus' wondrous animalia to life and explore the indefinable, that which does not fit into a box and in which nature reveals its true nature. How would the eighteenth-century taxonomist assess the diversity of the modern world?

Duda and Lavinia recognize themselves in the peculiarity of the "Animalia Paradoxa. Not fitting within the system. Their authenticity brings them new forms to express themselves in, with striking images and original music, recently awarded by professional juries: Duda received the Swan for Avatāra, a co-production with Illusionary Rockaz Crew. Lavinia received an Edison in 2022 for her album Are you still somewhere? with partly her own compositions.

Animalia Paradoxa is their ode to the beauty and complexity of nature. A plea for the indefinable, the freedom to simply "be.

About Lavinia Meijer and Duda Paiva

Lavinia Meijer has collaborated and shared the stage with such renowned composers as Philip Glass and Ludovico Einaudi, as well as the legendary Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Laurie Anderson and Sufjan Stevens. Her albums are released worldwide and have been awarded two Edison Awards and twice platinum status.

Duda Paiva is artistic director of Duda Paiva Company. He was trained as an actor and dancer in Brazil, India and Japan. He has worked with the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, The Concertgebouw Orchestra, Holland Opera and Illusionary Rockaz Company, among others. The co-production Avatāra has been nominated for the Swan for most impressive dance production 2023.