Hans Hemmert’s project Level from 1997 consisted of a party thrown by the artist where each guest wore shoe extenders to make everyone two meters tall. At my towering height of five feet, one and a half inches (on a good day), I feel like I could really use a pair.
Hemmert used Level to eliminate awkward body language and bring all guests to the same level. It’s interesting to see how a simple height change can cause new dynamics in a group.
I guess maybe these shoes aren’t always the best idea, doing the twist might be a little tricky with a foot and a half of blue foam strapped to your legs. It’s a good thing they don’t really look like the dancing type.
Check out Hemmert’s other work and the work of his collaborators in the art collective Inges Idee here.
