Heyi Ji

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted Access (SIA Only)

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Contemporary Art

First Advisor

Betsy Thomas

Second Advisor

Morgan Falconer

Abstract

This dissertation examines how the Calder Foundation constructs, manages, and sustains the posthumous cultural and economic value of Alexander Calder’s work. Rather than inheriting a fixed legacy, the Foundation actively shapes Calder’s afterlife through mechanisms of institutional authority, controlled visibility, and strategic collaborations. Its power is most apparent in its authentication system, where exclusive access to archives and the reliance on verbal rather than written certifications allow the Foundation to regulate authorship while minimizing legal exposure. This governance transforms preservation into a form of market control, determining which works may circulate as “authentic” and thereby converting symbolic authority into financial capital. Situating the Foundation within broader art-world networks, the dissertation explores how museums, galleries, and curatorial institutions reinforce this authority. Exhibitions such as the recent Whitney Museum’s Cirque Calder reconstruction reposition Calder for contemporary audiences, challenging and simultaneously extending the Foundation’s custodial narrative. These collaborations demonstrate how posthumous value emerges from institutional partnerships that continually renew Calder’s relevance. The study draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s theories of cultural and economic capital, as well as Michel Foucault’s concept of power/knowledge, to argue that the Foundation’s archive operates as both repository and instrument of authority—constructing the conditions under which Calder’s work is legitimized, circulated, and valued. Through legal cases, market analysis, and curatorial strategies, the dissertation reveals that Calder’s legacy is not merely preserved but produced through the interplay of expertise, regulation, and belief. Ultimately, the Calder Foundation exemplifies how institutional power shapes an artist’s posthumous identity in the modern art market.

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