Date/Time
Date(s) - January 21, 2020 - July 1, 2020
10:00 am - 6:00 pm


Griffin Foundation Gallery

Pronunciation Guide

This traveling exhibition offers a new and insightful look at modernism in interwar Europe. The exhibition focuses on the influential but short-lived artistic group known as Cercle et Carré (Circle and Square), founded by Michel Seuphor, Joaquín Torres-García, and Pierre Daura in 1929. Based in Paris, the international group of more than eighty artists included notable members such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, Alexandra Exter, Jean Arp, Fernand Léger, Le Corbusier, and Marcelle Cahn. Cercle et Carré was formed in reaction to Surrealism, advancing ideas concerning construction and meaningful abstraction. Its members published their theories in the group’s journals and presented them in their only exhibition, held in 1930 in Paris. At the time, they were largely ignored or derided by critics, but the 1930 exhibition is now considered a landmark event in the history of modernism. Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art showcases more than fifty works by more than thirty of Cercle et Carré’s participants, examining the formation of the group, its sole exhibition, and its artistic legacy. The exhibition was curated by Lynn Boland, former Pierre Daura Curator of European Art at the Georgia Museum of Art and current director of the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art.

The exhibition was organized by the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia. This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The Council is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The presentation of this exhibition at the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at Colorado State University is made possible by a generous grant from the Daura Foundation.

'Cercle et Carré' Gallery Talk (part one)

We're bringing our exhibitions to you! Watch the first installment of a video gallery talk for the traveling exhibit 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳é 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘵, presented to you by director and chief curator, Dr. Lynn Boland. This video will be one of a number of installments, so check back for more.As the series grows, feel free to leave a comment with topics of interest concerning 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳é and Dr. Boland will do his best to address them! #MuseumsAtHome #CercleEtCarre #AbstractArt #GAMA #MoreArt #FortCollins #Colorado #International #Artists #ModernArt #ColoradoMuseums #ArtMuseums

Posted by Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at Colorado State University on Tuesday, March 31, 2020

'Cercle et Carré' Gallery Talk (part two)⁣

Watch the second installment of a video gallery talk for the traveling exhibit 𝘊𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘵 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘳é 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘵, presented to you by director and chief curator, Dr. Lynn Boland. Check out our home page for pt. 1 and let us know what else you want to know about the Circle and Square group for future installments.⁣⁣#MuseumsAtHome #CercleEtCarre #AbstractArt #GAMA #MoreArt #FortCollins #Colorado #International #Artists #ModernArt #ColoradoMuseums #ArtMuseums⁣

Posted by Gregory Allicar Museum of Art at Colorado State University on Tuesday, April 7, 2020