Oiseau Mécanique

Oiseau Mécanique
Artist: Philolaos Tloupas, dit Philolaos (1923-2010)
Installation date: 1972
Techniques: Stainless steel
An emblematic sculpture in the artist's oeuvre, the surprising Mechanical Bird seems to have sprung straight from his imagination. Its stainless steel structure creates a play of reflections with the sky, and oscillates between urban aesthetics and natural forms.
Philolaos is exhibiting two other works at La Défense: Nymphéas and Cheminées.
A word about the artist
Born in Greece, Philolaos Tloupas (known as Philolaos) moved to Paris in the 1950s, where he studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. In 1963, the architect André Gomis invited him to create a "sculpture-architecture" in Valence, enabling him to discover the powers of urban aesthetics. He became the architect's sculptor.
At the same time, one material opened up new possibilities for him and played an important role in his work: stainless steel. In particular, he uses its natural modularity to create forms that escape from geometry, the better to embrace nature. Pursuing his own personal style, Philolaos works in a variety of media, including terracotta, turned wood, smoothed marble and washed concrete.