Zoumboulakis Galleries presents THE WORN-OUT DANCING SHOES Ralli Ioanna

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Ioanna Ralli’s new solo exhibition The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes unfolds like a quiet, colorful dream at Zoumboulakis Gallery. Through a large-scale installation, Ralli transforms the familiar story into a world of her own—filled with handmade knitted shoes, swirling murals, and delicate paintings that blur the lines between myth and storytelling.

In this colorful setting, 24 pairs of fabric-and-wire shoes echo silent footsteps across time, while vibrant diptychs and dozens of smaller works create a rhythm of movement and transformation. Ralli steps away from her past focus on the human body to explore new, fluid forms—genderless, multicultural, and full of motion. Four writers offer alternate endings to the old fairy tale, challenging the original message and inviting visitors to listen, read, and imagine their own version of the story. Here, the exhibition becomes a soft rebellion—told in thread, color, and the freedom to rewrite.