In Our Shoes Birth Control Pills, Vintage Shoes, Varnish. 5″ x 10″ x 10.5″ Photo courtesy of projects+gallery and the artist
Barrett Barrera Projects will unveil a new exhibition of work by Swedish-American artist Michele Pred, running April 9 to May 30, at projects+gallery in the Central West End.
Engaging the current policies and political structures that are imposed upon us, the exhibition
presents a call to action in the form of art.
In her artistic practice, Pred uses sculpture, assemblage and performance to uncover the cultural and political meaning behind everyday objects, with a concentration on feminist themes, such as equal pay, reproductive rights and personal security.
As Pred’s work implores us, now more than ever, we must raise our voices to protect the freedom of all bodies, especially those historically disempowered.
Pred has recently launched an initiative, The Art of Equal Pay, in response to the continuing gender pay gap, calling upon women and women-identifying visual artists to
raise their prices and fees by 15% starting on Equal Pay Day, Tuesday, March 31. In
addition to supporting this initiative, 5% of the proceeds from all sales of her altered purses in the exhibition will also be donated to Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.
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Sculptural pieces from a series entitled Power of the Purse include vintage purses emblazoned in neon with phrases from the current social resistance movements, such as Persist (2019) and call us to both reflection and action.
Projects+gallery is a commercial art gallery created by Barrett Barrera Projects, and is designed to feature contemporary exhibitions and artists that blur the boundaries of
traditionally understood artistic disciplines and practices. The gallery features regional,
national and international artists working in a variety of mediums. It is located at 4733