Auf Schritt und Tritt – At Every Turn, Shoes in Art and Design

After the exhibition Starker Auftritt! Experimental Shoe design with the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts in Leipzig, Germany (where all visitor records were broken since the re-opening, we are very happy to announce the (adjusted and extended) sequel to this shoe exhibition at Museum Villa Rot in Ulm in South Germany. Also co-curated Liza Snook of the Virtual Shoe Museum. This exhibition will be on show from 27th of October till 16th of February 2014.


Whether sneaker with synthetic fiber shank, whether glued high-heels with sequins, whether welted Western Boots or vulcanized shoes for children: In addition to a purely protective and fashion function shoes equally carry identity, socio-economic status, group membership or personality of the wearer. But they also hold a creative potential. In the hands of artists, architects and designers the fashionable everyday object turns into spectacular and unique autonomous sculpture. The trend for extravagant design creation has captured not only the shoe industry in the recent years. Frequently, international artists, architects and artists are inspired by the social and aesthetic aspects of the shoe. Between design and shape fantasy, mass consumption and erotic their objects, installations and video works open up a new perspective on the reality of the footwear.

The exhibition at the Museum Villa Rot presents an amazing topic: About 90 fascinating and bizarre design objects show shoes as architectures, socially critical opinions, physiological absurdities and objects that are not recognizable as footwear at first glance. At the same time the crossover with contemporary artistic positions grants a variety of formal aesthetic and cultural references. Whether wearabale or unwearable: As an art object, as social criticism, as an ecological solution or as fetish, made out of high-tech and natural materials, wood, ceramics, glass, paper, leather or fabric, the shoe acquires an autonomous artistic statement beyond everyday use.

The exhibition at the Museum Villa Rot was also developed in collaboration with and the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts.

The following artists, architects and designers are already chosen and invited to take part in the exhibition:
Mihai Albu / Sol Alonso / Irene Andessner / Shani Bar / Rielle Beekmans / Aart van Bezooyen / Marloes ten Bhomer / Götz Bury / May Y. Cheung Hoffman / Simsa Cho / Aki Choklat / Willie Cole / Fantich & Young / Alexander Fielden / Sylvie Fleury / Sakir Gökcebag / Tabitha Gwyn Osler / Zaha Hadid / Julian Hakes / Benjamin John Hall / Chau Har Lee / Iris van Herpen x United Nude / Bart Hess / Ivo Hofsté / Daisuke Horie / Marita Huurinainen / INSA / Peter Jakubik / Jan Jansen / Lauren Johnstone / Nici Jost / Kei Kagami / Kaarina Kaikkonen / Dora Kloppenburg / KUULA + JYLHA / Maskull Lasserre / Kobi Levi / Sahil Lungani / Eelko Moorer / Marie Oka / OLEK / Yu Otaki / Omar Angel Perez / Peter Popps / Marieka Ratsma / Pablo Reinoso / Winde Rienstra / Svenja Ritter / Manami Sato / Elena Savchenko / Iris Schieferstein / Paul Schietekat / Deborah Sengl / Shoise / Ivanka Ska / Bruno Tansens / (IN) DECOROUS TASTE / Yukiko Terada / Ainsley-t by Stuart Thom / Tetsuya Uenobe / Federico Uribe / Jozefien Vandermarliere / Anna Vasof / Nick Veasey / ILJA by Ilja Visser / Leanie van der Vyver / Julius Welby / Lie van der Werff / Souzan Youssouf & Naim Josefi / Erwina Ziomkowska

The museum Villa Rot is a contemporary exhibition house with an intercultural goal. International solo exhibitions and collective exhibitions which deal with the formal border area and with the border area with regard to content of art, culture and society are featured. The aim is to present contemporary positions and tendencies of contemporary art to the public at large. A special focus is therefore on the extensive offers particularly for families, adolescents and children.
The holder of the museum Villa Rot is the non-profit Hoenes-foundation. Due to its commitment, the museum Villa Rot distinguished itself since its opening in 1992 as an international exhibition house. After comprehensive reconstruction work and a programmatically repositioning under the direction of Dr. Stefanie Dathe, the museum Villa Rot could reach a great resonance of visitors, professional audience, patrons, sponsors as well as of the media.

Museum Villa Rot
Auf Schritt und Tritt – At Every Turn, Shoes in Art and Design
Wednesday – Saturday : 14 – 17
Sunday : 11 – 17
Location: Schloßweg 2, 88483 Burgrieden, Germany

Photo’s: ‘Apex Predator Empire Shoes’ x-ray by Nick Veasey and ‘Kitty’ by Willie Cole.