Dress
Lucent Case
Bells of Earth
Airing Book
UTSUSHI
Pierce
hundreds of boots
beads
dot
bucket garden
drawer garden
Dress
lace
Red Carpet
ribbon
break
ring ring
Goldfish
jewel
pool
Red Shoes
pierce
translate
veil
Red Shoes 赤い靴
2009
Video projection on the road / Silent
Installation view at Koganecho Bazaar 2009, 2009
Photo: Kumi Ohiwa
On a rainy day
Photo: Nobuhiro Shimura
Installation view at Koganecho Bazaar 2009, 2009
Video: Nobuhiro Shimura
Red Shoes is one of the notable works in Shimura's oeuvre. The projection work was displayed under the train tracks of the Keihin Express line, located in the former brothel district of Koganecho in Yokohama. Koganecho is well-known for the place depicted as the hell in Kurosawa's Cinema, High and Low (1963). In 2009, Shimura felt a dismall atmosphere still lingers on the street and attempted to restore the mood with the light. After sunset, moving images of red sneakers falling from above were projected onto a quiet street with little foot traffic. The sight of these red sneakers randomly pouring down like some sort of joke proved to be extremely popular with kids, turning this once deserted street into a lively space. On rainy days, the light from the projection reflected off the asphalt, making the shoes sparkle like diamonds – a happy turn of events that emerged from the outdoor setting of the work. At the request of the local residents, the work became a permanent installation after the end of the exhibition. Even now, it illuminates this street by night, serving as a symbol of Koganecho and how it advocates urban renewal through art.