Calder's 'Cirque' Returns to Paris at Fondation Louis Vuitton

Alexander Calder's seminal work 'Cirque' (1926-1931) is on exceptional display at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris as part of the exhibition 'Calder. Rêver en équilibre'. Created in Paris between 1926 and 1931, this intricate miniature circus comprises over 160 figures and accessories made from wood, wire, string, cork, and found objects. It is considered Calder's first masterpiece and a pioneering performance artwork. The piece has not been seen in Europe since 2009, when it was shown at the Centre Pompidou. This exhibition marks its final journey outside New York, as the Whitney Museum of American Art, which owns the work, has decided it will no longer travel. The 'Cirque' was performed privately for avant-garde artists including Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, Piet Mondrian, and Theo van Doesburg. Calder's wife Louisa James coordinated musical interludes on a gramophone. The work's genesis traces back to Calder's childhood creations and his 1925 assignment as an illustrator for the National Police Gazette, covering the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden. Two films documenting the 'Cirque' exist: a 43-minute documentary by Jean Painlevé (1953) and a short film by Carlos Vilardebó (1961) with music by Pierre Henry. The exhibition also features related works such as Calder's wire sculptures of Josephine Baker and his early 'Action Toys'.