In 2009, Mexican artist Elina Chauvet made an installation in memory of the thousands of young women who had disappeared, been tortured, and then killed in Mexico during the 1990s and 2000s. The original installation was 30 pairs of red shoes placed in the main street of the city of Juarez, connecting Mexico to the US. Since then, the “Los Zapatos Rojos” or Red Shoes installation has been replicated in over 80 cities around the world, with thousands of red shoes donated to symbolise the need to address gender-based violence.

Partnering with Chauvet, Murdoch University forensic scientist, Dr Paola Magni is bringing the collaborative art installation to Perth, in the iconic location of the WA Museum Boola Bardip November 27 to December 1 2022.

 

Red Shoes Australia will be created from 392 pairs of red women’s shoes representing the total number of women murdered in Australia between 2015 and 2020 (Australian Criminal Intelligence National Homicide Monitoring Program – 2015 to 2020).

To do this, we are requesting donations of pairs of red shoes (or shoes painted red). These shoes will be used for the installation. Once the installation has ended, shoes of acceptable quality will be donated to charity.

Please donate red shoes (or shoes painted red) into the box in the library foyer before Tuesday 15 November. Notes and messages of support/memorial can be added to the shoes.

More information can be found at https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip/red-shoes-16-days-wa-stop-violence-against-women

You can get behind Red Shoes Australia by visiting https://www.redshoesaustralia.com.au