Judi Wersthein – Brinco
The artist gave some pairs away, to immigrants trying to cross from Mexico to the United States. She designed her show with them in mind, since it includes a detailed map of the border area on its inner sole, an attached compass and mini-flashlight, as well as a picture on the heel of a Mexican priest, Toribio Romo, who, in the ’70s was thought to be a “guardian angel” for those crossing the border.
The audience for the shoe isn’t only immigrants. It’s designed to provoke thoughts about the arduous journey of those who cross the border illegally as well as the part they (and all of us) play in the global economy that produces high-end athletic shoes likes these. At this moment, with the debate about immigration at another high point, “Brinco” is a timely object.
