Swing Shoe Shop

Inaugurating the new 45cbm gallery at the Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, the Swing Shoe Shop involved opening a pop-up shoe shop using Apple-store aesthetics to sell original 1920’s-1940’s shoes. Gallery attendants and curators sold the ready-to-wear readymades for the bargain price of €99.90. The spectacle of disarmed museum visitors caught up in a frenzy of nostalgic consumer desire was accompanied by a floor projection of swing-dancing feet, showing people how to use their ‘new’ shoes. Meanwhile a museum audio guide prompted critical reflection on the spectacle with back-stories to the antique luxury items. A swing dance lesson opened and closed the exhibition.