Calder: Un effet du japonais
The transit from Ginza to Azabudai district was a seamless ebb and flow of people as Japan is well known for their advanced metro system. We got down at the Kamiyacho station and walked to the Azabudai Hills Gallery for the ‘Calder: Un effet du japonais’, the first solo exhibit of Alexander Calder in Tokyo in nearly 35 years. The exhibit was curated by Alexander S.C. Rower, the founder and president of Calder Foundation– and grandchild of the artist. This was organized in collaboration with Pace Gallery, a leading international art gallery that recently opened a permanent space in July 2024 at Azabudai Hills, Minato.
Alexander Calder is an abstract and modern artist from Pennsylvania, USA renowned for his innovative and kinetic sculptures. His avante-garde works span a wide range of mediums from stabiles, mobiles, and oil paintings. The exhibition showcases approximately 100 pieces from the Calder Foundation collection, presented in a geometry of a 3:4:5 triangle structure — a concept envisioned by Stephanie Goto — a New York-based architect who is a longtime collaborator of the foundation. “The exhibition is organized around two central pavilions, placed in retrospect to the triangular diagonal. The square plan recalls that of the teahouse and the Noh theater stage, anchoring the plan’s heart center.” Goto writes at the official catalog. Goto’s architectural design incorporates traditional Japanese materials throughout the space, including wood, paper, and plaster.
Rower notes that Calder himself has not traveled to Japan, yet he held a deep admiration for the artists and poetry of the country during his time. The exhibition explores the historical and psychic threads woven between American modern art and Japanese traditions. Traces of this influence can be found intertwined throughout Calder’s diverse body of work, offering a glimpse of this is the Un effet de Japonais (1941) stabile made in sheet metal, wire, rod, and paint, which is the namesake of the exhibit (As seen above).
Upon entering the exhibit, you will find yourself greeted to the right by Calder’s animal illustrations in black and white. These works are his initial study into figure drawing, capturing his early interest with form. Alongside are among the oil paintings displayed entitled Seven Black Red and Blue (1947) and My Shop (1955). Primarily seeing Calder’s works in 2D brought to mind the artist’s creative achievements also seeded from pen and paper.
Walking to the two gallery alcoves, the silence of the exhibition was palpable, broken only by the sound of my footsteps on the bamboo floor. While most exhibitions capture a similar stillness, in this case, it felt deliberate — an integral part of the viewing experience. The alcoves were covered in different natural materials offering nuanced context for the visitors in each room.
The mobiles subtly swayed and casted shadows– displaying how the artist meant his pieces to be viewed. The play of the wind and shadows emphasized the movement and fluidity inherent in his pieces, allowing viewers to experience the sculptures as living, dynamic entities rather than static objects. Each work was beautifully staged, every corner felt dense yet intriguingly light, capturing Calder’s vision of a delicate balance between form and space.
At the end of the exhibition, upright stands a monumental black sculpture entitled Sabot (1963). I was marveling at the form, finish, and curve positioned in front of me, contemplating how the piece resembles a giraffe or ostrich, though I am certain it could, as it is abstract, and it is up to the viewers to make sense of it. Calder avoided explaining his work, believing that “theories may be all very well for the artist himself, but they shouldn’t be broadcast to other people”. Visitors are left meditating on the artist’s use of weight, color, space, and motion– revealing the potency of abstraction. From hanging mobiles to stabiles arching in different directions, Calder’s achievements continue to captivate audiences today. The ‘Calder: Un effet du japonais’ exhibition at Azabudai Hills Gallery highlights Calder’s eclectic creative journey and his appreciation for traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The audience is invited to view Calder’s art and appreciate the profound, albeit indirect, interconnection between his works and the Japanese influence.
