We are MEDUSA. Over the years we have been many things.
Our name derives from Hélène Cixous’ seminal essay, ‘Laugh of the Medusa’, in which the theorist strives to reclaim Medusa, arguing that she must write, and define, herself. And so, MEDUSA began its life as a platform which nurtured thoughtful critical pieces and creative work by women and people of marginalised genders.
While MEDUSA takes its name from 1970s French Feminism, our approach to gender, and creativity moved past this context. For us, Medusa could not be reduced to a narrative of biological essentialism, in which creativity and selfhood could only be achieved by drawing on the reproductive female body. Instead, as a posthuman gorgon, Medusa defied binary definitions and offered us the transformative transcendence that Cixous seeks in embodied language.
She was vengeful, a survivor, monster, muse. She met and subverted the male gaze. And so, through her we sought to meet fire with fire, or should we say, stone.
We have morphed since then, become something new. The challenges of Medusa remain within us. Her story still echoes in our words and the words of every woman. Tongue bitten. Eyes sharp.
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Featured artwork: The Kiss, Auguste Rodin
MEDUSA 