Kids Man

Man, by Alexander Calder is located on the Belvedere on the north shore of Île Sainte-Hélène, facing the river. This “stabile,” by one of the 20th century’s greatest sculptors, was a gift from the International Nickel Company to Montreal on the occasion of Expo 67. This work reflects the theme of the Expo, “Man and His World” perfectly.

Engineer by profession, Calder was born in Pennsylvania in 1898, the son of two artists. In fact, his father, Alexander Stirling Calder, was a well-known sculptor who created many public installations, a majority of them located in Philadelphia. While in Paris, Calder met and became friends with a number of avant-garde artists, including Joan Miró, Jean Arp, Man Ray, and Marcel Duchamp. A visit to Piet Mondrian’s studio in 1930 “shocked” him into embracing abstract art. Notable examples of Calder’s genius are “125” for JFK Airport in 1957 and “La Spirale” for UNESCO in Paris 1958. Calder’s largest sculpture, at 20.5 m high, was “El Sol Rojo”, constructed for the Olympic games in Mexico City. He died in New York on November 11, 1976.

Calder’s sculpture now sets the stage for Piknik Electronik, a weekly outdoor techno dance party. Every weekend, a different set of djs get these party-goers on their feet. Dance the day away by the river with family and friends. What better way to pass a Sunday afternoon?