Hans-Peter Feldman, Golden Shoes with Pins, 2011. On view through June 5 atSerpentine Gallery, as part of Feldman's first public solo exhibition in London.
The Hans Christian Andersen story was my immediate thought on seeing this. Okay, so I don't find this piece incredibly original or groundbreaking, but I enjoyed my response nonetheless. I had an adaptation of the story as a book on tape as a kid, and I always really loved it. For some reason I was obsessed with the idea of being willing to go through so much physical pain for love.
From the Serpentine:
Hans-Peter Feldmann (born 1941, Dusseldorf) rose to prominence in the early 1970s, earning worldwide acclaim for his expansive and encyclopaedic photographic series. Often presented in the form of books, posters, postcards and installations, these collections link Feldmann's life-long fascination with collecting elements of visual culture. . . .
Feldmann's appetite for amassing cultural artifacts is demonstrated in a new work presented for the first time at the Serpentine. The artist purchased a number of ladies' handbags along with their entire contents, filling museological vitrines with credit cards, mobile telephones and address books, making passing fashions and lifestyle choices the object of display and public discussion.