My Little Solo Museum Date with Calder

Hi friends,

Ever since I came back to Paris at the end of March, every week has been go, go, go. So by the time I set off on my little weekend in Copenhagen, I could feel the burn out setting in. I knew I needed to slow down in May and take some time for myself to heal, reflect, and simply be present with myself.

Maybe it’s a sign of getting older, but I had an absolutely sublime time during my little solo museum date. It’s not that I feel incapable of going places alone but I’d simply rather share experiences with people during the short amount of time we all have outside of work. I love creating new memories with friends, discovering something new, and living off those little moments. It’s what makes me feel alive.

But this time was different. This time, I knew this was an exhibition I wanted to see alone. Personally, I didn’t know much about Alexander Calder but I recognized his artwork and his signature as an artist. The exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Calder’s work is titled, “Calder, Rêver en équilibre” meaning “Dreaming in Balance”. Exhibited at the iconic Louis Vuitton Foundation designed by Frank Gehry, the exhibition consists of eleven galleries of Calder’s creative evolution from circus figurines made from wire to his signature mobile sculptures that he’s so beloved for. He was a man of many trades and skills but the mobiles were by far my favorite. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the exhibition:

One of my favorite pieces was titled “Blizzard”, made from white sheet metal and wire, the sculpture resembles a gentle, nearly slow motion form of a snowy day. The three branches going in three different directions evoke wind spinning and circling endlessly. Against the black backdrop in the gallery space, I stood there wondering how something could look so simple and delicate yet so harmonious all at the same time. The sculpture looked seemingly motionless until you too stood still to watch it gently turn and sway.

When I was a kid, my dad had a sculpture made of handing puzzle pieces made out of silver on one side and a big square sheet of metal on the other. It was simple but it was magical watching the puzzle pieces balance in harmony countering the weight of the flat metal square.

When I see Calder’s mobiles it brings me feelings of wonder and surrealism. How can something so abstract still be so beautiful? And how can something so simple be so full of harmony? In an era full of over stimulation and excess, there is a refreshing nature to seeing Calder’s work. As I sat on the terrace of the Louis Vuitton Foundation, I could see Calder’s massive metal sculptures sitting out on the perfectly manicured lawn. I saw the light from the peak of golden hour creating a perfect glow around everything it touched and for a moment, I felt truly present. One with the moment.

As always, thank you for reading. Thank you for being here ~

Bisous,

Kiana