Informed by the aesthetic of protest for one hour, the artist and four other women stood inside a purposely made orange costume outside the department of Finance Dublin.

Present in the State is part of a series of performances which explore the role of women’s work in child rearing and caring, specifically focusing on women parenting alone in receipt of social welfare support. The artwork questions the representation and perception of such women in state administration processes and documents. It explores the state economic support for women, and puts at the centre of the artwork the living testimony of women living within these circumstances.

The text printed on the front and back of the costumes was developed from women’s testimonies gathered by the artist in the development of the artwork.

Self-funded by the artist