Totem 2019

Editor: This is Eckart Hahn’s "Totem," a photograph from 2019. The striking ultramarine parrot, with a stack of nuts balanced on its head, has such a curious presence. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Hahn's "Totem" invites us to consider layers of meaning, doesn’t it? At first glance, it's a quirky, surreal image. But I wonder if you perceive any cultural symbols at play here? Think about the symbolic weight of the parrot itself, or the stack of food it's balancing. Editor: I guess I hadn't thought of it beyond face value. Parrots are often associated with mimicry, and maybe, wealth... because some people keep them as exotic pets? But I'm not sure that translates here. What do you mean by "weight" and symbols? Curator: Well, a totem is traditionally an emblem of a family or clan, representing their ancestry or spirit animal. By calling it "Totem," Hahn sets up a conversation between the animal world, represented by the parrot and nuts, and the human desire to categorize and connect. What do these natural elements – parrot and nuts – mean to the modern society? Editor: So, you are suggesting the objects become like the symbols of human civilization. Like, here’s our relationship with nature distilled into this single bird, doing this balancing act, you know, surviving... I see that. Curator: Precisely! It invites us to contemplate the way humans organize and understand the world, projecting meanings onto nature to give meaning to ourselves. What new interpretation may surface if we re-contextualize “Totem”? Editor: I'm starting to think about it less literally now, the totem itself embodies stability, but it's perched on this wild thing. Curator: A beautiful contrast. Art can shift our understanding in so many ways. Editor: Definitely given me a lot to think about in how these objects take on meaning.