{"id":8839,"date":"2024-11-13T16:48:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-13T15:48:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/kb-kosmos\/alexander-calder\/"},"modified":"2025-01-24T14:17:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T13:17:08","slug":"alexander-calder","status":"publish","type":"digitorial","link":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/kb-kosmos\/alexander-calder\/","title":"Alexander Calder","content":"","excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":{"alt":"A human-sized, mobile sculpture hangs from the ceiling on a wire rope. It consists of iron plates and rods of different sizes and colors. The construction resembles a branch, a wind chime or a mobile.","title":"Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB Kosmos","caption":"Alexander Calder, Mobile, 1956\nPhoto: Kunsthalle Bielefeld","width":1500,"height":1000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-150x100.jpg","small":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-300x200.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-768x512.jpg","large":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-1140x760.jpg","full":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos.jpg"},"srcset":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-520x347.jpg 520w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos.jpg 1500w"},"template":"","digitorialkategorien":[90,89,86,87],"class_list":["post-8839","digitorial","type-digitorial","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","digitorialkategorien-batch-structure","digitorialkategorien-built-systems","digitorialkategorien-hybrid-creature","digitorialkategorien-seeking-position"],"acf":{"blocks_content":"   <div class=\"blocks-content container\">\n                                                                              \n         \n         <div class=\" mb-475 mb-sm-5 mb-lg-55\">\n            <div class=\"row justify-content-center the-content \">\n\n               <!-- Headings -->\n                                                                           \n                                             <div class=\"col-12 col-sm-10 text-center\">\n                           <figure class=' -has-caption' ><img src='https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-1140x760.jpg' srcset='https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-1140x760.jpg 1140w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos-520x347.jpg 520w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Mobile_Webseite_KB-Kosmos.jpg 1500w' sizes='(min-width: 576px) 66vw, 94vw'  alt='A human-sized, mobile sculpture hangs from the ceiling on a wire rope. It consists of iron plates and rods of different sizes and colors. The construction resembles a branch, a wind chime or a mobile.' width='1140' height='760'  loading='lazy' ><figcaption class='col-12 col-xs-8 col-sm-8 px-sm-3 px-xl-4 mx-auto'>Alexander Calder, Mobile, 1956\nPhoto: Kunsthalle Bielefeld<\/figcaption><\/figure>                        <\/div>\n                                       \n                              <!-- End Switch Layout  -->\n\n            <\/div>\n         <\/div>\n                                                                                       \n         \n         <div class=\" mb-475 mb-sm-5 mb-lg-55\">\n            <div class=\"row justify-content-center the-content  font-l sans-serif\">\n\n               <!-- Headings -->\n                                 <div class=\"col-12\">\n                     <p>Can something made of metal look alive? Perhaps even playfully?<br \/>\nAlexander Calder has dedicated himself to this task. The American artist created movable sculptures made of metal. They are also called kinetic sculptures. That was something new almost 100 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>This sculpture hangs below the ceiling. Like a mobile. That&#8217;s exactly what it&#8217;s called. But did you know that mobiles didn&#8217;t exist before Alexander Calder? He invented them. You can find out more about this below.<\/p>\n<p>The colored iron plates that move in the gentle breeze may remind you of leaves. Or other shapes from nature. Perhaps that is the reason why this sculpture seems so alive. A rather cold material is brought to life, so to speak, through form, color and movement. Alexander Calder is interested in the relationship between nature, man and technology. So the viewers also play a role: how does the work change depending on the angle of view?<\/p>\n                  <\/div>\n\n                              <!-- End Switch Layout  -->\n\n            <\/div>\n         <\/div>\n                                                                                       \n         \n         <div class=\" mb-475 mb-sm-5 mb-lg-55\">\n            <div class=\"row justify-content-center the-content \">\n\n               <!-- Headings -->\n                                                                                          \n                     <div class=\"content-accordion | col-12 py-3\">\n                        <div id=\"content-accordion-2\">\n                                                         <div class=\"akkordeon-item | bg-gray-200 rounded-4 mb-1\" >   <!-- head -->\n      <h3 class='akkordeon-header font-xl py-125 m-0' id='content-accordion-2-head0'>\n      <button class='akkordeon-header__link d-flex w-100 line-height-12-force  shadow-none font-l-force text-start justify-content-between hover-text-shadow-light btn btn-overlay round collapsed' role='button' data-bs-toggle='collapse' data-bs-target='#content-accordion-2-col0' aria-expanded='false' aria-controls='content-accordion-2-col0'>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__text pe-3 pe-lg-4'>The invention of the mobile<\/span>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__icon round flex-shrink-0'><\/span>\n      <\/button>\n   <\/h3>\n\n   <!-- body -->\n<div id='content-accordion-2-col0' class='accordion-collapse collapse ' aria-labelledby='content-accordion-2-head0' data-bs-parent='#content-accordion-2'><div class='akkordeon-body'>                              <div class=\"akkordeon__text font-l last-child-mb-0 the-content -btns-black px-325 pt-2 pb-35\">\n                                 <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>&#8220;When everything works, a mobile is a piece of poetry that dances and surprises with joie de vivre.&#8221;<\/em> (Alexander Calder)<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8654\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8654\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8654\" src=\"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Cirque_Calder_Trapez_1951_KB-Kosmos.jpg\" alt=\"A somewhat corpulent man of around 50 years of age with tousled light-colored hair is holding a small wire figure in his hand. The figure is connected by wires and cables to fixtures above it and other figures or objects below it.\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Cirque_Calder_Trapez_1951_KB-Kosmos.jpg 400w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Cirque_Calder_Trapez_1951_KB-Kosmos-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Cirque_Calder_Trapez_1951_KB-Kosmos-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8654\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alexander Calder during the performance of his &#8220;Cirque Calder&#8221;, 1951<br \/>Photo: Hermann Landshoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After a visit to the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian in 1930, Alexander Calder began to produce abstract iron and metal sculptures reduced to basic colors, which were set in motion with the help of motors. From 1932 onwards, he developed his sculptures further and produced hanging, independently moving sculptures, which in this way entered into a relationship with their immediate surroundings and with recipients walking around them. <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marcel_Duchamp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Marcel Duchamp<\/a> later called these moving sculptures by his artist friend Mobiles.<br \/>\nFrom 1926 to 1931, Calder had already created an extensive collection of miniature figures in his then hometown of Paris, the so-called <em>Cirque Calder<\/em>, which translates as Calder&#8217;s Circus. These circus figures, which are quite small at 15 cm, were brought to life by the artist in ever new productions using electric motors. The entire Parisian art scene came to the performances back then.<\/p>\n                              <\/div>\n                              <\/div><\/div><\/div>                                                         <div class=\"akkordeon-item | bg-gray-200 rounded-4 mb-1\" >   <!-- head -->\n      <h3 class='akkordeon-header font-xl py-125 m-0' id='content-accordion-2-head1'>\n      <button class='akkordeon-header__link d-flex w-100 line-height-12-force  shadow-none font-l-force text-start justify-content-between hover-text-shadow-light btn btn-overlay round collapsed' role='button' data-bs-toggle='collapse' data-bs-target='#content-accordion-2-col1' aria-expanded='false' aria-controls='content-accordion-2-col1'>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__text pe-3 pe-lg-4'>Calder and the circus: the path to art<\/span>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__icon round flex-shrink-0'><\/span>\n      <\/button>\n   <\/h3>\n\n   <!-- body -->\n<div id='content-accordion-2-col1' class='accordion-collapse collapse ' aria-labelledby='content-accordion-2-head1' data-bs-parent='#content-accordion-2'><div class='akkordeon-body'>                              <div class=\"akkordeon__text font-l last-child-mb-0 the-content -btns-black px-325 pt-2 pb-35\">\n                                 <p>Born in 1898, Alexander Calder came from a famous American family of artists. Even as a child, he created pieces of jewelry and small wire sculptures as gifts for his family and friends. Although he was very close to art, he initially wanted to become an engineer in 1915. However, he abandoned his studies and switched to art in 1923.<\/p>\n<p>He initially lives from illustrations. In 1925, he drew the artists and circus animals in a circus for two weeks. Further works from this environment will follow later. In 1926, he built a toy circus with the character <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Humpty_Dumpty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Humpty Dumpty<\/em><\/a> character: He sets the little figures in motion and uses the technology available at the time to bring the actually immobile objects to life.<br \/>\nYou can find out more about this on <a href=\"https:\/\/levygorvy.com\/happenings\/calders-circus-and-the-paris-art-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this website.<\/a> <\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8656\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8656\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8656\" src=\"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos.jpg\" alt=\"A circus with very old toy figures on a table top including clowns, animals, acrobats and the figure \"Humpty Dumpty\". The circus tent is made of fabric.\" width=\"700\" height=\"463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Calder_Schoenhut_Company_Philadelphia_History_Museum_Humpty_Dumpty_Circus_KB-Kosmos-520x344.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8656\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Humpty Dumpty Circus, 1903. Played in Philadelphia: Albert Schoenhut, Philadelphia&#8217;s Own Santa Claus at the Philadelphia History Museum, exhibition view.<br \/>Photo: King of Hearts \/ CC-BY-SA-3.0, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n                              <\/div>\n                              <\/div><\/div><\/div>                                                   <\/div>\n                     <\/div>\n                  \n                  <!-- Sonsiges Block (HTML Option) -->\n                              <!-- End Switch Layout  -->\n\n            <\/div>\n         <\/div>\n                                                                                       \n         \n         <div class=\" mb-475 mb-sm-5 mb-lg-55\">\n            <div class=\"row justify-content-center the-content \">\n\n               <!-- Headings -->\n                                                                                          \n                     <div class=\"content-accordion | col-12 py-3\">\n                        <div id=\"content-accordion-3\">\n                                                         <div class=\"akkordeon-item | bg-gray-200 rounded-4 mb-1\" >   <!-- head -->\n      <h3 class='akkordeon-header font-xl py-125 m-0' id='content-accordion-3-head0'>\n      <button class='akkordeon-header__link d-flex w-100 line-height-12-force  shadow-none font-l-force text-start justify-content-between hover-text-shadow-light btn btn-overlay round collapsed' role='button' data-bs-toggle='collapse' data-bs-target='#content-accordion-3-col0' aria-expanded='false' aria-controls='content-accordion-3-col0'>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__text pe-3 pe-lg-4'>Data about the artwork<\/span>\n         <span class='akkordeon-header__icon round flex-shrink-0'><\/span>\n      <\/button>\n   <\/h3>\n\n   <!-- body -->\n<div id='content-accordion-3-col0' class='accordion-collapse collapse ' aria-labelledby='content-accordion-3-head0' data-bs-parent='#content-accordion-3'><div class='akkordeon-body'>                              <div class=\"akkordeon__text font-l last-child-mb-0 the-content -btns-black px-325 pt-2 pb-35\">\n                                 <p><strong>Artist:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Alexander Calder (22.07.1898 born in Lawton, Pennsylvania, USA, 11.11.1976 died in New York, USA)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Title:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Mobile<\/p>\n<p><strong>Year:<br \/>\n<\/strong>1956<\/p>\n<p><strong>Material\/technique:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Cast iron, 10 color-painted plates<\/p>\n<p><strong>Dimensions:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Largest extension 180 cm<\/p>\n<p><strong>Labeling:<br \/>\n<\/strong>If interesting information is available<\/p>\n<p><strong>Entry into the collection:<br \/>\n<\/strong>1960, purchase by Eberhard Pinder (Director St\u00e4dtisches Kunsthaus Bielefeld 1960-62)<\/p>\n                              <\/div>\n                              <\/div><\/div><\/div>                                                   <\/div>\n                     <\/div>\n                  \n                  <!-- Sonsiges Block (HTML Option) -->\n                              <!-- End Switch Layout  -->\n\n            <\/div>\n         <\/div>\n                                                                                       \n         \n         <div class=\" mb-475 mb-sm-5 mb-lg-55\">\n            <div class=\"row justify-content-center the-content  font-m g-sm-4 g-md-5 sans-serif\">\n\n               <!-- Headings -->\n                                 <div class=\"col-12 col-sm-6 col-md-6\">\n                     <p>Author: Matthias Albrecht and Arina Becker<\/p>\n                  <\/div>\n\n                              <!-- End Switch Layout  -->\n\n            <\/div>\n         <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n","gallerie":null,"subtitle":"Mobile"},"id_default":8351,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/digitorial\/8839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/digitorial"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/digitorial"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/digitorial\/8839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"digitorialkategorien","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kunsthalle-bielefeld.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/digitorialkategorien?post=8839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}