A retrospective on footwear from Medieval to present-day times, in Western as well as in non-European cultures: “Marche e Démarche. Una historie de la chaussure” has the ambition to trace the extensive pathway of this striking accessory, which accompanies us with each step taken while defining who we are.
500 works between shoes, paintings, photographs, art objects, films and ads propose an unusual overview of this functional item that is also extraordinary at the same time. We find the tapered black shoe of Marie Antoinette from 1792 alongside the models of leading contemporary designers. Oriental slippers that were used to bind the feet and stop them from growing. But also wooden clogs of farmers in contrast to the silk souliers of aristocrats. Odes to fetishism include a shoe with vertiginous heel and laces designed by Louboutin and Crazy Horse. There are then the sculpted shoes of Alexander Mc Queen, Iris Van Harpen and Noritaka Tetehana.
Likewise important is the excursion into streetwear with military and sporty shoes, including the evergreen Stan Smith of Adidas, while movie buffs will be able to admire the moulds used by Salvatore Ferragamo to create custom-made shoes for Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Sophia Loren.
“Marche et Démarche. Une histoire de la chaussure” teaches us that footwear is not just a question of walking… but is also culture, history, and art.
The Exhibition will run through 23 February 2020.