Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture

The first major retrospective of the work of Alexander Calder (1898-1976) in the UK for twenty years opens at Tate Modern in November 2015. Calder was one of the best loved American artists of the 20th century. He invented the kinetic sculpture, now known as the mobile, and played an essential role in reshaping the history of modernism. Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture will explore the notion of performance as a driving force in Calder's sculpture and his use of other media including drawing, design, film and theatre. It traces the evolution of his work, from his initial years entertaining the artistic bohemia of interwar Paris with performances of his Circus, to his later life, when he became hugely popular for his mobile and stabile sculptures. Focusing on this aspect of performance in Calder's work and the theatricality of his sculptures, the catalogue will feature new research from a wide range of expert writers.