Opening reception: ‘Alexander Calder. From the Stony River to the Sky’

Please join us for a private view to celebrate the opening of ‘Alexander Calder. From the Stony River to the Sky’, a major solo exhibition of works by Alexander Calder, the majority of which have never before been exhibited in the UK.

Calder was one of the most influential and pioneering artists of the twentieth century, transforming the very nature of sculpture by introducing the fourth dimension and the actuality of real-time experience into his work. Known primarily for his invention of the mobile, Calder created a prolific oeuvre that extended to wire sculpture, carved figures, stabiles, standing mobiles, oil paintings, works on paper, jewellery, furniture and domestic objects, and monumental public commissions across the globe.

The show runs through all five gallery spaces at Hauser & Wirth Somerset with over 80 pieces, including large-scale outdoor works set within the gardens at Durslade Farm. The exhibition takes its title from the etymology of the surname Calder in Celtic—meaning ‘from the stony river’—and its inspiration from Calder’s long-time home and studio in Roxbury, Connecticut. Purchasing the dilapidated farmhouse in 1933, Calder and his wife Louisa adapted it to fit their growing family, and Calder built three studios over the years to accommodate his burgeoning ambitions as an artist.

This is a free event, no booking necessary