Ties That Bind

"My mama always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where they going, where they been."

Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump

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Carved into a wall, a series of small white niches are sealed off by translucent screens. A pair of women’s heels hides inside one hollow, its protective barrier sewn directly into the plaster with wide, ungainly stitches. It’s a rather strange place for a shoebox. Who do these pumps belong to and why are they displayed in such an unusual way?

Doris Salcedo, "Atrabiliarios", 1992-2004, shoes, wall, wood, animal fibers, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Detail of the work.
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Created by the artist Doris Salcedo, this contemporary work pays homage to a somber period in recent Colombian history. For decades, the country endured violent civil conflict between its government, rebel groups and other parties. Entire villages were decimated and many thousands of people disappeared.

Doris Salcedo, "Atrabiliarios", 1992-2004, shoes, wall, wood, animal fibers, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
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While conducting research for her piece, Atrabiliarios (roughly translated by the artist as "Defiant Ones"), she realized that many among the missing and murdered were women. Shoes were sometimes the only way to identify the bodies, which were often disfigured by their killers.

The sensitivity of this story might explain why the artist exhibits each item with so much care. The shoes, which appear alone and in pairs, serve as a reminder of the horrific crimes.

Doris Salcedo, "Atrabiliarios", 1992-2004, shoes, wall, wood, animal fibers, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Detail of the work.
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Deeply invested, Salcedo met with the families of victims. She listened to their painful stories and asked permission to use the shoes of the disappeared women. A Colombian herself, the artist explains: "The experiences they have gone through.. I’m taking those, I’m working, and I’m trying to understand this reality, trying to make sense out of brutal acts, if that is possible. I know that seems vain but I try."