Picasso Museum in Paris
Alexander Calder ranking 2018: 23th position € 72.918.157.
Pablo Picasso ranking 2018: first position € 538.505.380 (Artprice.com).
From the perspective of the current attitude to modern art, and contemporary art all the more, this is all the information we would need to illustrate the importance of this exceptional exhibition.
Calder Picasso
But, in this case, the economic value is paired — to put it mildly — with the artistic value.
Mobile of Calder
These two art giants are being shown side-by-side at this exhibition in Paris at the Picasso Museum in the Hotel Salé in the Marais district, from February 19 to August 25, 2019. We have to say that its impact is a sure thing.
Interesting Noses
Seeing Calder’s famed “Mobiles,” emblematic of Kinetic Art, gracefully circling above Picasso’s sculptures and paintings is truly a thrill not to be missed,
even if we have to say that it is not obvious what ultimately connects the two other than being visionary geniuses.
Calder Picasso
The captions aren’t much help, such as one reading, “The progression from the solidity of the volumetric figure to simplified lines of gesture is about refining the images — or scraping away — to access the truth.“
Wow, it even gives us the “truth” of the object!
Picasso Museum
What could that mean?
The sacredness of the object in an immanentist or animistic view of reality? The earthly expression of the Platonic ideal?
Something else?
Modern Art Icon
It is far from clear.
It would make perfect sense if it were a matter of launching any of the hundreds of contemporary artists needing fancy sentences to give any kind of meaning to their works. But we’re talking about Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder here.
Was there really a need?
Picasso Museum
75003 Paris
5 rue de Thorigny
from February 19 to August 25, 2019