International Day of Peace and opening of the first major Canadian retrospective of Alexander Calder

On this International Day of Peace, the MMFA wishes to highlight the opening of the first major Canadian retrospective of Alexander Calder (1898-1976), which showcases the many facets of the career of this humanist artist.

Montreal is home to the most important public artwork in Canada, Calder’s monumental sculpture Trois disques, or as Montrealers affectionately call it, Man, remembering “Man and His World.” Evoking humanism as did Expo 67, this sculpture alludes to humanity’s technical achievements and its aspiration toward a collective harmony.

In accepting the commission for Trois disques‚ which was to serve as the focal point for the Arrival Pavilion‚ Calder was a willing and independent collaborator of Expo 67‚ an event that unequivocally declared its intention to “contribute to mutual understanding throughout the world by bringing the nations of the world together.”

Ugo Mulas, “Trois disques de Calder”, Montréal, 1967. Archivio Ugo Mulas, Milan © 2018 ©CalderFoundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SOCAN, Montréal. © Ugo Mulas Heirs. All rights reserved. Courtesy Calder Foundation, New York / Art Resource, New York