Birds Sculpture in Nowa Huta

Birds (Ptaki), popularly called the Christmas Tree (Choinka), is a metal sculpture on the Willowe estate in Nowa Huta, near block no. 12. It was made in 1978 by Lucjan Orzech, the same artist who made the Small Organ sculpture on the nearby Wandy estate.

What it looks like

The sculpture consists of slightly curved triangles arranged at various angles. They are set on a plinth in the shape of a bent pyramid, and some of the triangles join one another. Traces of green, blue and yellow paint can be seen on the metal. The shape of triangles set at angles explains the nickname “Christmas Tree”.

Background

Works like this were put up in Nowa Huta on squares, playgrounds and lawns of housing estates from the 1960s. Young artists, mostly graduates of the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, received flats, studios and grants from the “Hutnik” Housing Cooperative. You can read about the district as a whole in the entry on Nowa Huta.

Practical information

• Location: Willowe estate, near block no. 12, Nowa Huta.
• The sculpture stands in the estate's public space. About one and a half kilometres from here lies the People's Theatre (Teatr Ludowy).