BOTH IRONS IN THE AIR One-of-a-kind culbuto horse sculpture

Culbuto sculpture in hand-patinated zinc and bronze leaf. A sketch by Yves Pagart reminiscent of the features of a stylized horse. Unique piece.

The Two Irons in the Air questions the boundary between balance and reversal, stability and movement. In the archetypal form of a rocking horse, the sculpture freezes a moment of assumed instability: the one where the game defies gravity, where the object topples over and exposes its vulnerability in an inverted position. A silent tumble, the work suggests an infinite loop — that of controlled imbalance, of the inevitable return to a starting point. The animal becomes a metaphor for the thwarted momentum, the oscillatory cycle, the tension between anchoring and flight.

Two Irons in the Air offers a look at movement as a state of being, on the fall as part of the game, on the suspended moment where everything can change.

Yves Pagart’s work is characterized by the manipulation of metal—bending, cutting, rolling, and smoothing steel sheets—to create sculptural furniture that often draws inspiration from the natural world. His pieces, such as the “Tamanoir” low table and the “Pangolin” dining table, exhibit organic forms that blur the line between art and functionality. These works are typically produced in limited editions, emphasizing their exclusivity and artistic value.

Pagart’s works have been exhibited internationally and are sought after in the art and design markets. Notably, his “Chaise longue ‘Mante’” (1998) achieved a record auction price of $12 000 at Christie’s Paris in 2024, underscoring his prominence in the field of contemporary functional art.