Mit Roten Schuhen

Installation-performance, 2008 and 2009. Forty-three pairs of red women’s shoes and three pairs of red men’s shoes are placed ready for exchange. Participants are given the opportunity to temporarily trade their own shoes for a pair of red shoes. Within the framework of the performance, the underlying installation evolves through the process of constant exchange. Over time, the appearance of the original arrangement evolves simultaneously as the participants change their own appearances and hence their places in society. Moreover, the work commences a casual dialogue with its space. People decide individually the extent of their wish to change their societal roles. Men in red women’s shoes and women in men’s shoes clearly reflect the desire to depart from accustomed roles. However, trading gender roles – outlined here as an example – is just one aspect of the work.