Blood -red shoes: Art campaign against violence against women in Schöneberg

Blood -red shoes: Art campaign against violence against women in Schöneberg

On June 13, 2025, a special event will take place in Berlin under the title "Bluturot Shoes", which is dedicated to the topic of violence against women. This installation aims to commemorate the victims of femalitis, to carry out enlightenment and to increase the visibility of the topic. The central installation "The Golden Cage" by the artist Marion Fabian is set up in Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It shows hundreds of blood -red shoes that symbolizes every couple a woman killed by violence.

This impressive sculpture should not only encourage you to take a look, but also break silence about violence against women. The visitors are also given the opportunity to bring their own red shoes and put them in the cage in order to express their solidarity. The framework of this event is supplemented by a diverse program, which includes impulse contributions of feminist activists, video operating, sound art and discussions with the audience. Particularly noteworthy is also a speed dating that serves the networking among the participants.

background and social relevance

The installation "Bluttrot Shoes" is in the tradition of similar projects, such as the "Zapatos Rojos" art campaign, which was launched in 2009 by the Mexican artist Elina Chauvet. This campaign is reminiscent of the tragedies of femalitis worldwide after Chauvet’s sister was killed by domestic violence. In 2021, 18 women were killed in Belgium by female, and the problem is evident in many countries, so that a uniform definition of femizid is missing, as the Federal Center for Political Education states.

In Germany, the Federal Criminal Police Office documented a total of 155 women for 2023, who were killed by their (ex) partner. These statistics show that violence against women not only takes place in private relationships, but often also in a social context and is often motivated by hierarchical gender relations.

an appeal for awareness

The event in Berlin, which is funded by the decentralized cultural work Tempelhof-Schöneberg, draws attention to these serious social issues and stimulates discussion about the causes of violence against women. During the Corona pandemic, violence against women and children even increased, which accuses additional concerns of the social framework. A central motive that can be observed again and again are the supposed property claims of (ex) partners, fathers or brothers.

With actions such as "blood red shoes", an important step is taken to visibility and sensitization in order to strengthen women and to illustrate social responsibility.