Podcast Summary: All Of It – "Calder’s Circus at 100"
Host: Tiffany Hansen (in for Alison Stewart)
Guests: Jenny Goldstein (Curator), Roxanne Smith (Assistant Curator)
Date: December 19, 2025
Episode Focus: Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Alexander Calder’s groundbreaking “Circus” installation and its current exhibition at the Whitney Museum.
Episode Overview
In this episode of All Of It, host Tiffany Hansen welcomes Whitney Museum curators Jenny Goldstein and Roxanne Smith to discuss the legacy, innovation, and continued fascination with Alexander Calder’s “Circus” – a miniature, kinetic world created in the 1920s that is now recognized as a foundational piece in Calder’s career and the evolution of modern art. The conversation covers the origins, artistic significance, performance rituals, and the immersive new exhibition at the Whitney marking the centenary of Calder’s Circus.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origins and Structure of Calder’s Circus
- Calder’s Early Influences: The circus originated in Paris (1926-1931) when Calder was experimenting with wire, fabric, and movement, intending to create a new type of performative art.
“He really was consumed by this project from 1926 until 1931, making circus figures, adding to the spectacle of this performance, and then performing it for a whole host of fellow artists, gallerists, real kind of who's who of the Parisian avant garde.” – Jenny Goldstein [03:01]
- Description of Figurines: Doll-sized (roughly 8–12 inches), crafted from ordinary materials—wire, scraps of fabric, rubber, and leather—designed to be manipulated by Calder himself.
- Performance Mechanisms: Unlike puppets with strings, these figures were internally rigged with pulleys, wheels, or balanced parts—Calder directly manipulated each “performer” with his hands.
“Each of the individual objects is rigged for motion internally in some way or another with wheels or pulley, just relying on balance.” – Roxanne Smith [02:22]
2. Calder as Performer and the Theatrical Experience
- Sole Ringmaster: Only Calder handled the performance; his wife’s main role was playing records for atmosphere.
“He's the ringmaster. It was his performance.” – Jenny Goldstein [06:03]
- Audience: The circus was considered radical “performance art” for grown-ups, especially fellow artists and critics, performed in intimate, artistic gatherings in Paris and eventually in New York.
- Mobility: All components fit into five leather suitcases, allowing travelling performances.
“You set it up and you perform it, and you take it down.” – Jenny Goldstein [08:17]
3. Cultural and Artistic Context
- Parisian & American Circus Influences: Calder drew from both traditions, crafting a miniature world that blended familiar archetypes (acrobats, lions, ringmasters) with his own unique flair.
- Lasting Inspiration: Circus themes continued to influence Calder throughout his career, especially in two-dimensional works, even as he moved toward abstraction and invented his iconic mobiles.
- Evolution Into Abstraction: Calder’s creative leap from detailed, representational figures to abstract mobiles paralleled his engagement with the radical art movements flourishing in Paris at the time.
“… formative interactions with fellow artists … led him to similarly turn towards abstraction. … He started making his radical abstract sculptures that Marcel Duchamp would later call mobiles.” – Jenny Goldstein [07:13]
4. Preservation, Legacy, and Exhibition
- Fragility of the Original: The circus figures, now a century old, are extremely fragile and are no longer manipulated.
- New Exhibition Format: The Whitney’s current exhibition arranges the circus elements within a circular ring-like display, allowing visitors to observe all aspects.
“The installation is really dedicated to the circus. It's displayed over a series of cases that almost feels like a ring, a circus ring in and of itself, but really spaciously installed …” – Jenny Goldstein [11:51]
- Archival Materials: On view: original archival drawings, handmade invitations, and rare photos, offering rich new context for Calder’s process and community.
- Public Fascination & Critical Acclaim: From the start, Calder’s Circus was a critical and popular success, even being covered by mainstream and circus-specific press.
5. Themes of Imagination, Contained Universes & the Artist’s Aims
- Imaginative Worlds: Roxanne links Calder’s approach to his fascination with universes and systems, seeing the circus as a microcosm of possibility.
“He found a sort of perfect subject for that idea of this contained universe unto itself, where the ordinary and the Extraordinary could collapse.” – Roxanne Smith [10:49]
- Art in Motion: Calder intended for his works to remain animated and interactive, a vision the curators strive to honor even without his physical performance.
“When you walk by a Calder that can move, that can be—you have an impact on it, just as it has an impact on you.” – Jenny Goldstein [14:27]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Materials and Preservation:
“Calder made it out of really, really ordinary materials. So, like bits of rubber, bits of scraps of leather … all of these materials have degraded or lost their color over time … However, it was always Calder's artwork to perform anyway.” – Roxanne Smith [05:10]
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On Cultural Phenomenon:
“The circus was wildly popular in a way that is hard to even understand now.” – Jenny Goldstein [10:03]
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On His Favorite Element (Suitcases):
“You can just feel him present with them. You can imagine him holding them and packing them up and unpacking them.” – Jenny Goldstein [15:36]
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On Audience Reaction:
“It was extremely well received at the time, and it was part of how he gained notoriety as an artist early in his career … an object of fascination not only to the art world at the time …” – Roxanne Smith [13:28]
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Curators’ Favorite Parts:
- Roxanne: “The spear thrower act. I recommend to all of the listeners to spend some time with the spear thrower and his exotic dancer.” [15:22]
- Jenny: “The suitcases.” [15:34]
Important Timestamps
- 00:00 Introduction / Calder’s reputation and the circus’s historical context
- 01:10 – 04:50 Description of the circus, figurines, influences, and materials
- 05:56 – 06:18 Calder as sole ringmaster and the performance’s exclusivity
- 07:13 – 08:12 Calder’s artistic trajectory and the bridge to abstraction
- 09:20 – 10:03 Recurrence of circus themes in later works
- 11:39 – 13:11 Innovations in this exhibition and display techniques
- 13:28 – 14:27 Initial audience reception and Calder’s vision of lasting movement
- 15:10 – 15:49 Exhibition details, curators’ favorite elements
Exhibition Details
- Title: High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100
- Location: Whitney Museum, NYC
- On View: Until March 9th
Tone and Style
The episode is warm, enthusiastic, and accessible, bringing both historical context and a palpable sense of wonder for Calder’s ingenuity and enduring appeal. The curators balance scholarly insight with personal reflection, inviting listeners to appreciate the artistry, imagination, and sheer fun of Calder’s Circus.
Summary prepared for listeners who want a full sense of the discussion and its cultural context without needing to listen to the episode.