6 & 7 open 1330-1730
8 & 9 open 1100-1730
Bodies Borders Becoming is a queer exhibition by LGBTQ+ artist who live and work in Exeter. This is the first exhibition that has been made for Exeter Pride, adding another dynamic element to the pride program in 2026.
This exhibition explores themes of queer identity, intimacy and the act of making. In the pages of Dr Laurie Reynolds photographic zine 'Unsubstantial Territory' originally commissioned for The Box in Plymouth, Laurie shares their personal experience of code switching, allowing them to confront and explore whether code switching is oppressive, a survival technique or part of the queer experience.
With 'Skin Ego', 2020 Sam Godfrey has created an imagined second skin, a ‘psychic’ envelope that encourages us to think about surfaces and how they become sites for interpretations, ambiguity, and complications. Sam says, "Creating textile sculptures is a way for me to explore concepts of incomplete spaces, intimacy and the idea of ‘ad-hoc self-making'." Similarly, making to explore queerness and identity is a major theme in Scotty Gillespie's work, predominantly shown through illustration and ceramics. For this exhibition Scotty presents an 'untitled' tapestry from 2019 which was carefully crafted over many weeks and was made as part of a wider body of work titled 'Tenderstem'. Making this work exposed Scotty's endurance, precision and willingness to create something gentle and beautiful through a physically demanding and repetitive process. Flag it', 2026 by Adam Garratt presents a series of portraits that have been made over several years, here they are redrawn onto reclaimed pride banners and made in to flags. Adam offers the flag as a means to expose identity, shown here through physical likeness and making practice. Adam asks, what does it mean to show queer portraits on flags in the context of their use today?Portraiture along with photography have long been a artistic techniques used by queer artists to understand themselves and those they are drawn to. The exaggerated forms in the 2016 portraits by Danny Everton are no exception. While thinking about the borders of our bodies and sanctuary in nature, these images take us to the surrealness we might experience as queer people and the confidence we might also gain from adorning a costume. Something Danny has explored by asking the models pictured to pose in these costumes in public spaces.
Bodies Borders Becoming invites you to consider this archive of work from the last 10 years as a record of how Exeter and pride has its place in shaping the way we see ourselves. Also to think of how the archived Pride materials from Katie Moudry show LGBTQ+ people coming together to explore and communicate the rich and diverse culture we are a part of. It can be seen as a telling of how we can continue to evolve and grow as people and a community.
Special thanks to Exeter Pride, Positive Light Projects, Russell and the Artists for all of their support in bringing this exhibition together.