Living but a Day: Texere is a culmination of works by Chloe Austin as part of her practice- based research, which explores the impact of text-based communication on queer and feminist expression across the island of Ireland. This multifaceted project weaves together the exchange between language, identity, and activism, tracing the evolution of queer representation and strives for a contemporary queer ‘living archive’. Text, textile, and texture – each word entwines its origins from the Latin verb texere, meaning to weave, to plait, or to construct with intricate care. At the heart of the Living but a Day project lies a devotion to queer and feminist printed ephemera and archival materials in Ireland. These artifacts, meticulously woven with historical narratives, act as both keepers of the past and sparks for contemporary discourse, carefully constructed to honour and preserve their rich stories. Over the past year, through performative and collaborative approaches like re-speaking, repetition, and reinterpretation, these materials have transformed into vessels, combining voices of the past with the realities of the present. Interventions – whether installations, performances, or interactive exhibitions – emerge as essential case studies within the broader research, illuminating the complex intersections of text, identity, and activism.

Curated by Jenna Whelan