Abstract
The project Try Walking in May’s Shoes explores how artistic sensitivity and imagination can be a tool for community transformation across borders. Inspired by the writings of Karl May—whose fictional stories imagined the landscapes and cultures of North America from his home in Saxony—we invited artists from Canada to reimagine the Central Europe (Ore Mountain) and itś inhabitants. Through collaborative meetings, public art exhibitions, and cross-cultural dialogue, artists created new work that reflects their own situated perspectives as well as topics of legacy and missing stories. The creative process became a space of exchange, trust-building, and re-contextualization. For many Canadian participants, art proved to be a method of both responsibility, myth, healing and resistance, while for European partners it opened questions about myth, projection, and responsibility. This project demonstrates how transnational artistic collaboration can reframe historical narratives and foster local connection through shared imagination. We propose creativity not only as expression, but as a community-building act—capable of bridging cultures, confronting stereotypes, and reimagining shared futures.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life
KEYWORDS
Czech, Canada, Germany, Cooperation, Inspiration, Creativity, Community, Agency
