On Living Collage and Counter Archives: “In the days of Various Light” by Xochi Solis

May 27

Presented by Future Front with support from Preservation Austin, In the Days of Various Light is a solo show and site-specific installation by Austin-based artist Xochi Solis.

In the days of various light is a community-centered installation by Austin-based artist Xochi Solis, reflecting on the cyclical relationships between memory, transformation, and collective renewal within the city’s cultural landscape. Across its duration, the installation acts as a counter-archive, continually reshaped as collaged layers and community offerings build upon one another, tracing how Austin’s stories are held, altered, and carried forward. Just as plants thrive within interconnected systems, Solis explores how art-making, storytelling, and collaboration sustain cultural ecosystems.

Building upon Solis’s ongoing collage practice rooted in ancestral memory, Tejana identity, and the materiality of place, this installation expands from the intimate terrain of her family’s history in East Austin toward a collective ecology of stories. As part of Future Front’s ongoing Community Studio exhibitions, In the days of various light reflects the journey of Austin-based multidisciplinary artists like Xochi Solis- weaving collaborative and iterative relationships through our city’s local culture.

VIEW ALL WORKS FROM THE EXHIBIT →

In the Days of Various Light is on view through September 2026 at Future Front’s Community Studio on 1900 E. 12th Street. Visit during gallery hours on Fridays from noon to 6 PM or during special events.

Continue reading to learn more about the show.

MEET THE ARTIST

Xochi Solis

Xochi Solis (she/her) is an Austin-based multi-media artist. Her works include collaged paintings that explore color, texture, and shape through paint, collected paper ephemera, hand-dyed and marbled paper, plastics, and found images from books and magazines. Through a practiced process of layering materials, incorporating the visual depth and illusions of photographic surfaces, Solis reflects on the visual complexities in her environment—both natural and cultural.

While her practice remains rooted in mixed media, she thrives on collaborative creativity. Her passion for community-building is reflected in her leadership roles within Austin’s arts & culture organizations, including Big Medium, MASS Gallery, and, most recently, eight years as the founding board president of Future Front Texas. Solis also performs as a vinyl DJ under the name Mira Mira, focusing on preserving and performing Tejanx culture. These experiences bridge her studio practice with her commitment to creating innovative, collective spaces.