Les Oiseaux d'Itte 1970

Curator: Here we have "Les Oiseaux d'Itte," or "The Birds of Itte," a sculpture crafted by Étienne Hajdu around 1970. The medium appears to be polished metal, giving it a sleek, almost ethereal quality. Editor: My first thought is 'futuristic.' The reflective surface combined with the abstract, almost aerodynamic shapes makes me think of spacecraft or advanced avian species. Curator: The title definitely suggests a symbolic element. Birds, across cultures, frequently represent freedom, transcendence, the soul's journey... Considering Itte's placement in the title, it's possible the name bears specific cultural or personal significance for Hajdu, perhaps referring to a locale or personal motif central to his memory. Editor: It's the modernist abstraction that really draws me in. Hajdu has reduced the essence of birds to these elegant, curving forms, prioritizing balance and negative space. Note the relationship between the solid pedestal and the openwork structure above—the visual tension. Curator: The geometric reduction can also signify a broader trend of twentieth century Modernism where primal forms—birds being linked with primal desires and basic instincts— were distilled into abstract representation for cultural re-examination in the era of technological warfare and post-colonial politics. Editor: Indeed, each component invites structural deconstruction. The interplay of line and plane directs our gaze, choreographing how light dances across the metallic skin. It prompts us to think about the platonic essence of flight beyond literal imitation. Curator: Ultimately, "Les Oiseaux d'Itte" embodies Hajdu's vision of a hopeful transcendence. The birds are not merely birds; they're vessels of a culturally informed journey of aspiration toward something more—spiritually, emotionally, or artistically. Editor: For me, beyond any symbolic reading, lies the sheer elegance of form and the beautiful interrogation into the core elements of sculpture itself, and their capability to engage our imagination beyond cultural memory.