A Visit to the Bata Shoe Musuem
Written by Susan Frye
Wednesday, 27 June 2007 10:21
Working with the Michener Institue for applied health sciences, the Bata Shoe Museum developed an exhibit that encompasses people to ‘think on their feet.’ The Healthy Feet Exhibit runs until July 22nd, 2007 and features information about the anatomy of the foot and how it functions, common foot types, familiar and rare food disorders affecting the toes, the arch of the foot and the heel, as well as side effects that can occur in the feet due to health conditions.
The purpose of this exhibition is to educate people about our walking buddies to keep them happy and healthy. The exhibit, although modest in size, is informative and makes people aware of how important their feet are to their health. Assistant Curator at the Bata Shoe Museum, Sarah Beam, reminds us that “the summer season is a time when people are more inclined to experiment with new and fashionable types of shoes, and foot care doesn’t often factor into people’s assessment of foot apparel. We want to provide the public with a better understanding of why this issue should be considered and taken more seriously.” I wouldn’t say the exhibition is rated R, however it does show feet at a gruesome state and makes you appreciate happy feet and footwear to go with it.
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Watched by Heaven, Tied to Earth is a fascinating display of Chinese shoes which is also a limited exhibition on display until March 11, 2007. I stepped into a room, red painted walls and Chinese music playing on a small television set in the back corner of the room. In front of me was a wall with a written description of how the Chinese use symbolism with their calender when designing footwear.
The exhibition features over 200 skillfully made Chinese children's shoes that are enriched with images of animals. Chinese mothers and grandmothers rely on animal traditions to protect their children. Animals helped define Chinese political, social and personal identities which were part of a loaded emblematic idiom that expressed wishes for happiness, good fortune, and protection.
The exhibition is full of bright colours, highly detailed pieces and is a lot of fun. Carefully displayed are books, images and models that detail each animal’s characteristics and corresponding years. The experience was relevant on a personal level which could be what make this experience so pleasurable.
If you are trying to beat the heat this summer and looking for something to do, these two exclusive exhibits at the Bata Shoe Museum would definitely be worth while. Treat your feet and understand what kind of cool accessories exist for them from around the world.
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