Dimitri Hadzi

Not to be confused with Dimitrios Hatzis.

Dimitri Hadzi (March 21, 1921 – April 16, 2006)^[1] was an American abstract sculptor who lived and worked in Rome, Italy for 25 years and later resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he also taught at Harvard University for over a decade.

Dimitri Hadzi
Dimitri Hadzi at work in his studio in Cambridge
Born	(1921-03-21)March 21, 1921 New York City, U.S.
Died	April 16, 2006(2006-04-16) (aged 85) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Alma mater	Cooper Union
Known for	Abstract monumental sculpture
Notable work	Elmo Centaur Twin Gates Propylaea River Legend
Style	Abstract modernist
Spouse(s)	Martha Leeb (divorced) Cynthia Hoyle von Thüna (1985)
Awards	1957 Guggenheim Fellow 1962 Venice Biennale 1974 Rome Prize
Elected	1983 American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1990 National Academy of Design, Associate member 1994 National Academy of Design, full Academician
Website	dimitrihadzi.com

Life

Hadzi was born to Greek-American immigrant parents in Greenwich Village, New York City on March 21, 1921.^[2] As a child, he attended a Greek after-school program, where he learned language, mythology, history, and theater. He also won a prize for drawing. After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, he worked as a chemist, while continuing his studies in chemistry by night.

In 1942, he signed up for the Army Air Force, serving in the South Pacific region while continuing to draw in his spare time.^[3] After his service, he returned to New York to study painting and sculpture at Cooper Union.

Hadzi taught studio arts at Harvard University, from 1975 to 1989.^[4]

Personal life

Hadzi married Martha Leeb, but later divorced.^[when?] In June 1985, he married Cynthia von Thuna.^[5] He died in 2006.

Works

• Centaur (1954), in the garden of Prospect House in Princeton, New Jersey
• Elmo-MIT, 1960s
• Onfalo III (1962), 1300 E Lafayette, Detroit, MI
• K. 458 The Hunt (1966), Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, refers to Mozart's String Quartet in B flat, K. 458^[2]
• River Legend (1976), Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building, Portland, Oregon
• Thermopylae (1960s), John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Boston
• Propylaea (1982), a sculptural fountain in Toledo, Ohio
• Omphalos (1985), formerly at Harvard Square MBTA station through the Arts on the Line program, but was to be repaired and relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts^{[6][needs update]}
• Helmet V, (1959-1961) Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC^[7]
• Red Mountains (1991), Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse, Birmingham, Alabama. The sculpture, installed in 1991, was removed in 2012 for renovations to the building. A provision of the 2014 Financial Appropriations Act barred the General Services Administration from replacing it for fear that it could be used to shield an attacker.^{[8][needs update]}
• Elmo V (1961), The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany, NY^[9]

Awards

• 1957 Guggenheim Fellow^[10]
• 1962 Venice Biennale
• 1974 Rome Prize
• 1990 National Academy of Design, Associate member
• 1994 National Academy of Design, full Academician

Removal of artworks

This centerpiece sculptural fountain (1983), whose waterfall had been shut off by the time of this 2012 photo, was completely removed by 2014. Its condition and location remain unknown.

Some of Hadzi's public artworks have been removed since his death, as noted above. In addition to the named works, a 60-foot (18 m) high sculptural fountain designed by him was completely demolished and removed circa 2014, despite protests by his widow and other commentators.^[11] The artwork was the centerpiece of Boston's Copley Place indoor shopping mall, and was composed of multiple abstract granite and travertine marble shapes, with a waterfall cascading down it into a shallow pool at the bottom, surrounded by marble benches.^[11] As of 2022^[update], there was scant remaining evidence the fountain had ever existed, and the ownership, location, and status of its components were unknown to the general public.^{[needs update]}