The paper begins by referencing *Paradoxa*, self-contradictory beings embodying the unscripted nature of life, contrasting them with Linnaeus's attempts to categorize and systematize the natural world. Linnaeus's project, rooted in a rationalist, organizing principle, aimed to classify and utilize nature's riches. However, *Paradoxa*, defying categorization and utility, represent a challenge to this approach. The authors introduce 'monstering'—a verb, not a noun—as a transdisciplinary practice that embraces the unknown and uncontrollable aspects of the world, particularly in the context of ecocide. This approach involves unconventional encounters with spaces, materials, and experiences, fostering radical transformation and challenging traditional assessment tools. Monstering explores the 'weirding' within the material realm, celebrating diversity, difference, and paradox to enhance engagement with 'other' kinds of bodies and erase taxonomy. It aims to yoke together disparate worlds, summoning forth the fragile *Paradoxa*—embodiments of experimentation and provisional assemblages—to enliven our understanding of possibilities.

The introduction references several key works, including Braidotti's *Transpositions: On Nomadic Ethics*, Douglas's *Purity and Danger*, and Haraway's work on the Anthropocene and chthulucene. These works inform the theoretical framework for the concept of monstering and its engagement with non-human agents and ecological systems. The authors draw upon existing theoretical work to position their concept of 'monstering' within a broader discussion of transdisciplinarity, ecological crisis, and the need for new ways of relating to the non-human world. The reference to Linnaeus highlights the historical context of human attempts to categorize and control nature, setting the stage for the alternative approach proposed by the authors.

The methodology centers on a series of projects undertaken by the Experimental Architecture Group (EAG) between 2016 and 2019. These projects serve as case studies to illustrate the principles and practice of monstering. The projects include: * **The Temptations of the Nonlinear Ladder:** A public performance involving circus artists transitioning between different media (water, air, land), highlighting the shape-shifting nature of bodies and the uncertainty of existence. * **Making Monsters:** A workshop engaging students in creative exercises (surrealist drawing, design, performance) to explore the framing of monsters and their allegorical potential, challenging anthropocentric assumptions. * **Monsters in Utopia:** An installation transforming a stage into a living building using discarded bicycle parts, creating a space of monstrous alliances between materials and soundscapes, and exploring symbiogenesis. * **Learning from Landscape: Forging Folklore, Tallinn Tales:** A workshop inviting students to re-tell Estonian folk tales, foregrounding landscapes as active participants in shaping human events. * **From Victoria Tunnel to Quantum Tunnelling:** A performance in a disused subterranean coal wagonway, exploring the 'living' aspects of abandoned infrastructure. * **Trace Hall:** An installation using mirrored surfaces to reveal the invisible realm of microbes at the human scale, demonstrating interdependencies between humans and their microbiomes. Each project employed a mix of materials, media, methods, and collaborations, integrating elements through design and dramaturgy. The assessment of these projects focuses on the cultural, social, and ethical importance of monsters and their role in shaping our understanding of the world.

The paper's key findings are presented through the detailed descriptions of the EAG's projects. Each project demonstrates different aspects of monstering, revealing how it challenges established norms, embraces uncertainty, and fosters new ways of understanding and interacting with the world. The Temptations of the Nonlinear Ladder illustrates the concept through physical performance, showcasing the transitional and transformative aspects of existence. Making Monsters explores the conceptualization and creation of monsters through creative practices. Monsters in Utopia uses an immersive installation to create a visceral experience of the monstrous, highlighting symbiogenesis. Learning from Landscape reinterprets the relationship between humans and nature through storytelling. From Victoria Tunnel to Quantum Tunnelling employs the setting of an abandoned space to reveal the ongoing 'life' within seemingly inanimate infrastructure. Finally, Trace Hall illustrates the invisible connections between humans and microbes through an interactive art installation. The projects collectively demonstrate the potential of monstering to generate new forms of knowledge, creativity, and engagement with the more-than-human world.

The projects demonstrate that monstering is not merely a theoretical concept but a viable transdisciplinary methodology for engaging with complex ecological and social challenges. By embracing the unknown and uncontrollable, monstering offers a way to move beyond anthropocentric perspectives and acknowledge the contributions of non-human agents. The findings highlight the importance of unconventional methods for fostering creativity and generating new understandings of our relationship to the environment. The methodology successfully challenges normative assumptions and generates unexpected insights by exploring the interactions between diverse materials, spaces, and participants. The integration of art, science, and design underscores the transdisciplinary nature of the approach and its potential for producing innovative solutions to complex problems.

Monstering, as a mutable toolset, enables the design and innovation for a more-than-human realm. It surpasses conventional design approaches by fostering unfamiliar encounters, challenging habits, values, and preferences. By adopting microbiological science as a design lens, it considers non-human values and enactments of care alongside human concerns, leading towards more liveable and lively worlds. The projects demonstrate the potential of this approach for building relationships of reciprocity and co-constitution in an ecological era of multi-species relations.

While the paper provides compelling case studies, the generalizability of the monstering methodology might be limited. The projects are largely context-specific, and the effectiveness of the approach may vary depending on the specific context and participants involved. Further research is needed to explore the applicability of monstering across different disciplines and geographical locations. The subjective nature of artistic interpretation also presents a limitation, making rigorous quantitative analysis challenging.