Xenophon world-building project by McGibbon O’Lynn explores new forms of love and intimacy
On Wednesday 25 June, 2025, the collaborative world-building project, Xenophon, presented its newest manifestation: ‘Love is blindly reaching out rhizoids and anchoring them to a rock’. The project, created by artists Maeve O’Lynn and Siobhán McGibbon, is rooted in the fictional world of the Xenothorpians, a fluid species that mutates across vegetal, human, and ecological entanglements.
The exhibition, which is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Derry City & Strabane District Council, and Cork County Council, invites the audience to explore a multispecies romance beyond the boundaries of species and sexuality. Through the use of ritual, material, and speculative storytelling, the project expands ideas of intimacy and relations, challenging the traditional notions of love and connection.
The artists, O’Lynn and McGibbon, were inspired by the evolution of dating and how it has shaped human relationships over time. From the 1960s TV show The Dating Game to 1990s board games like Dream Phone, and today’s swipe-based apps like Tinder and Bumble, the artists question the impact of gamification on love and intimacy. These formats reduce love to strategy, speed, and surface, often reinforcing transactional and disposable dynamics. In response, the exhibition proposes a radical reimagining of connection, towards a more expansive, inclusive, and multispecies form of love and relationality.
Visitors are invited to participate in this multispecies dating game and to explore what new intimacies may arise when we love without boundaries. The project asks thought-provoking questions, such as: what happens when we love without the limitations of species? How does this change our understanding of intimacy and relationships?
Maeve O’Lynn, a writer, filmmaker, and researcher based in Belfast, and Siobhán McGibbon, a visual artist and researcher based in Cork, have collaborated to create this thought-provoking and innovative project. Through their work, they hope to challenge societal norms and encourage a more expansive and inclusive view of love and connection.
For more information on the Xenophon project and upcoming exhibitions, please visit CCADLD.org/exhibitions. The exhibition is open to the public and we encourage everyone to come and explore the world of Xenophon. A special thanks to Siobhan McGibbon for providing the image for this exhibition.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.