Écoute, Sandstone sculpture in the 1st arrondissement, Paris, France
Écoute is a sandstone sculpture by Henri de Miller, set on the ground of Place René-Cassin in the Jardin Nelson-Mandela, in front of the church of Saint-Eustache. It shows a man's head lying on its side, resting on a curved hand, and is signed on one side "Henri de Miller 1986".
Écoute was commissioned from Henri de Miller for the Forum des Halles in 1986 and placed on Place René-Cassin, at the northern edge of the Jardin des Halles, in front of the church of Saint-Eustache. A fibre-optic sundial by the same artist stood nearby. When the garden was redesigned as the Jardin Nelson-Mandela in 2013, the sculpture's orientation was slightly changed and the sundial was removed.
The sculpture's title, Écoute ("Listen"), matches its pose: a head resting on a cupped hand, as if straining to hear. A scene from Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film La Haine, with Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, was shot near the work. The stone is signed on one side "Henri de Miller 1986".
You can reach the sculpture easily by metro, as Les Halles station is very close by. The plaza is open during the day and offers plenty of space to view the work from different angles.
A scene from Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film La Haine, with Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui, was shot near the sculpture. The work is signed on one side "Henri de Miller 1986".
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