As a powerful symbol of one’s identity and beliefs, the shoe remains a source of wonder. Vincent van Gogh, too, found inspiration in footwear. The more worn and muddy these were, the deeper their implied psychological meaning. During the 5th Havana Biennial, Francis Alÿs donned magnetic shoes and walked daily through the streets of the city, collecting the bits of metal he encountered in his path.

Alÿs (b. Antwerp, 1959) lives and works in Mexico City and is one of today's most influential artists. He  uses a variety of media—from painting and drawing, to video and animation. Through various poetic and allegorical angles, Alÿs explores both political subjects and everyday situations: pushing a melting block of ice through the streets of a city; attempts to enter the center of a tornado; carrying a leaking can of paint along the disputed border between Israel and Palestine; equipping hundreds of volunteers to move a colossal sand dune a mere ten inches. These “interventions” are documented by video and immediately raise the interesting question of “where” Alÿs’ work is located. Is it the performances or actions, even though many of them involved no spectators? Is it video art or mere registration?