Artist Hosts Party Where Everyone Stands Eye to Eye

Imagine walking into a party where everyone, from 4 feet 11 inches to 6 feet 5 inches, meets you at exactly the same height. That's what happened when Oakland artist Lucian Novosel turned a wild idea into reality.

Novosel spent months designing and building custom platform shoes using 3D-printed parts and foam insulation. Each pair was precisely calculated to bring every guest to the height of his tallest friend, about 6 feet 5 inches.

The concept traces back to German artist Hans Hemmert's 1997 installation "Level," but Novosel wanted to recreate it as a wearable social experiment. He locked down his guest list three months early because any changes meant rebuilding shoes from scratch.

The engineering was surprisingly complex. Novosel cut and stacked 1-inch foam sheets into pyramid shapes for stability, reinforcing them with 3D-printed brackets and zip ties. The tallest platforms reached 18 inches high.

Safety was paramount. He provided walking sticks for balance, marked trip hazards with tape, and chose a venue with no stairs. Guests spent the first minutes learning to walk again, testing their steps and trusting the foam beneath their feet.

Matilde Miranda, who stands 5 feet 2 inches, gained a full foot of height that night. She'd never experienced anything like it at networking events or parties where she usually looked up at everyone.

"It's a very different sensation," Miranda said. "I have never been that tall in my life." With her walking stick in hand, she felt like Gandalf from "Lord of the Rings."

Why This Inspires

This party wasn't just about making people taller. It was about experiencing the world from a completely different perspective, even if just for a few hours.

For shorter guests, it meant seeing over the crowd and meeting others eye to eye for the first time. The physical equalizer created an emotional one too, changing how people interacted and connected.

Novosel's project shows how creative thinking can transform everyday assumptions about our bodies and spaces. Sometimes the most profound insights come from literally changing your point of view.

One night of custom foam platforms proved that perspective matters more than we realize.