Borrowing its title from Claes Oldenburg’s 1961 exhibition, “The Store,” Gershon Gidisu’s exhibition explores the nuanced transactions and connections between social and individual taste-making, and how these are shaped by design. The exhibition touches on themes of regulation, control, and comfort—ideas that emerged for Gidisu during his daily interactions in Germany.
Drawing from a combination of research, personal interests, and inspiration from the built environment in Karlsruhe and other parts of Germany, where he has spent the last three months, Gidisu presents a body of work characterized by materials such as metal sheets sourced from old drywall profiles, galvanized steel wire, Styrofoam, steel rods, and wood. The metal sheets are shaped into forms that reference fashion items, such as heels and a corset. The heel motif has long been a part of Gidisu’s artistic practice, stemming from his childhood spent in his father’s shoe repair shop. In this body of work, he strips the heel of its decorative elements, focusing instead on the sole, which he considers the “essence” of the stiletto. He revisits stitching as a technique to explore the concept of repair. Some of the shoe-like forms hang from the ceiling like raindrops against a dark green background, referencing the Ghanaian passport, which evokes themes of movement and control. Others are assembled in a constructed wooden structure in the installation titled “Shoes? In KK Shelves,” an allusion to Gidisu’s love for woodwork and joinery, as well as his admiration for Kengo Kuma’s GC Prostho Museum.
The centerpiece of the exhibition, titled „Corset on Cage Crinoline,“ features a corset-like form made from metal sheets, positioned on an armature with a skirt made of steel rods and galvanized steel wire, all resting on an exaggerated bird foot. Gidisu was inspired by 18th and 19th-century women’s court dresses, reflecting on the fact that many of these garments were designed by men for women. His work explores the idea of a cage on a dress, influenced by his research in books on European fashion history at the Schloss Karlsruhe library. The corset form is based on drawings from “the old Coquette” by The Kyoto Costume Institute (KCI) and serves as a metaphor for conversations on comfort, control, and the adaptation of anatomy. The wire cage surrounding the bird foot also makes a playful pun on the cage crinoline, drawing attention to how urban spaces in Karlsruhe and Germany are often designed with metal spikes and objects to deter birds (such as pigeons), providing commentary on how design can serve as a form of control and policing in public spaces.
Gidisu is intrigued by how audiences will engage with these mostly metallic objects—objects traditionally associated with femininity but rendered in materials closely related to power. Through his work, he invites reflection on the intersection of design, control, and materiality.