Shoes Have Names – part of Fitting in at Z33

Stories of homelessness have never been told like this before. Shelter has joined forces with conceptual fashion designer Jo Cope for the Shoes Have Names art exhibition. Each shoe uses craft to translate the unique story of a previously homeless individual and to celebrate their positive steps forward with Shelters help. The Shoes Have Names tour exhibition has moved from UK to Belgium, now as part of the exhibition ‘Fitting In’ at Z33, House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture in Hasselt, Belgium. On show from 02.10 to 26.02.23.

About Shelter: Shelter is the UK’s leading housing and homelessness charity and believes that everyone should have a safe home. It helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through its free emergency helpline, webchat service, and local advice, support and legal services. And it campaigns to make sure that one day no one will have to turn to Shelter for help. For free and expert housing advice visit England Shelter.  
About Jo Cope: Shoes Have Names director Jo Cope is a conceptual fashion designer and alumni of the London Collage of Fashion. Her work crosses the boundaries of Fashion, Art, Craft and performance, drawing from universal human experiences, psychology, philosophy and social trends. She has shown at many prestigious global events (Venice Biennale fringe festival, London Craft Week, London Design Festival) and her footwear artefacts have been exhibited internationally (including the Budapest Museum of Art, State Museum Russia and Decorative Arts Museum Paris). She defines her work as being focused on ‘the human side of fashion.’ Jo Cope.

Shoes Have Names collaborators: Kobi Levi, Elisabeth Thorsen, Kristina Walsh, Liz Ciokajlo, Tabitha Ringwood, Daniel Charkow, Dr Ellen Sampson, Caroline Groves, Jana Zornik and Jackie Leggett. A blog has been set up for the event, to track the designers thoughts and journey from design to creations: ShoesHaveNames.com 

Fitting In Exhibition
The world turns increasingly pluriverse. How can we, without losing ourselves, become part of a larger entity? That question forms the starting point of the group exhibition Fitting In. Artists and designers show how lavish our context can be, if we are open to the many voices around us. They understand identities as multi-layered or fluid. In conversation with you they explore the boundaries between fashion, visual art, photography, design and the world.

Participating artists: Christian Bakalov, Alia Ali, Lisa Konno & Sarah Blok, Mous Lamrabat, Berre Brans, Elisa Van Joolen, Das Leben am Haverkamp: Dewi Bekker, Anouk van Klaveren & Gino Anthonisse, The Fabricant & Teresa Manzo, CFGNY, Ines Alpha, Tom Van der Borght, Jo Cope & Boutique by Shelter, Marwan Bassiouni, Nazanin Fakoor, Helen Storey, Sanne Vaassen, ADIFF Angela Luna, Anais Hazo-Santorin, Elke Lutgerink, Lotje Heidingsfeld, Lucy & Jorge Orta, Mona Steinhaeusser, Sheltersuit, Thierry Geoffroy, Woman Cave Collective: Léticia Chanliau & Chloé Macary-Carney.
Curators: Annelies Thoelen, Branko Popovic and Marnix Rummens.

Fitting In
Dates: 02.10.23 to 26.02.23
Location: Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture
Bonnefantenstraat 13500 Hasselt, Belgium

Shoe ‘Home Void’ by Kobi Levi, photograph by Dan Lowe.