Let the cobbler stick to his last | A Mile in My Shoes in Maribor

Let the cobbler stick to his last
Former MTT factory, Maribor/Melje, Slovenia
18-26 September 2020
opening: Friday, 18 September 2020, 18:30

“Let the cobbler stick to his last,” writes the Slovenian national poet France Prešeren. The expression means one should not pass judgment about what one is unfamiliar with. This is also the idea behind A Mile in My Shoes, a travelling exhibition project by the Empathy Museum.

A Mile in My Shoes opened in Maribor, Slovenia, part of Prelaunch Days EKO 8, organised by UGM | Maribor Art Gallery, on 18 September 2020. In limited accessibility due to coronavirus measures, it nevertheless managed to move, inspire and broaden the horizons of the visitors during the opening evening and in subsequent days. The opening was accompanied by a concert of a contemporary poet, Mariborian musician Mlake.

The response to the project during the Prelaunch Days EKO 8 was one of curiosity and contemplation. Visitors would retell stories they were hearing to each other or they would get lost in them on their own. The simplicity, yet effectiveness of the project brought to the fore the importance of awareness, of learning and knowing how to listen. The project is a step towards a kinder society, even if it’s a small step and in someone else’s shoes at that.

A Mile in My Shoes is a project conceived by artist Clare Patey for the Empathy Museum and is produced by Artsadmin. The stop in Maribor is the first of the artistic threads connecting partners in the Art & Well-being project, with support from the Creative European Programme of the European Union.