Gravity Shoes (Gödel)

In this sculptural work called Gravity Shoes, Luca Pozzi reinterprets a common object—the sneaker—as a “primitive contemporary technology” designed for moving the human body through space. Far from being a mere garment, the stylized shoe acts as a “calculator of probabilities,” captured at the precise threshold of maximum uncertainty: that infinitesimal moment when the foot still maintains contact with the ground “by a whisker” before transitioning into motion.

The sculpture’s physical presence is defined by a technical sole made of checkered aluminum (alluminio mandorlato), a material that evokes an industrial and functional aesthetic. This sole is entirely magnetized, turning the object into an active engine of invisible attraction. Through this magnetic traction, a series of ping-pong balls are held in a state of suspended tension, appearing to orbit or cling to the structure in a way that defies conventional gravity.

By merging the daily ritual of walking with the principles of magnetic suspension, Pozzi transforms a familiar item into a complex device. The piece serves as a bridge between the physical act of movement and the theoretical realms of physics, freezing a fleeting moment of potential energy into a permanent, sculptural event.