An unusual exhibition at the Musée Picasso, featuring works by Sophie Calle
Sophie Calle recently decided to make her mark on the Musée Picasso in Paris. For her new exhibition opening this week, she had the museum remove 90% of its permanent collection to make way for one of her most ambitious conceptual projects. Calle transplanted much of the contents of her home into the empty galleries, filling the space with personal objects, photographs, and installations that reflect her artistic practice.
The Marais-based Musée Picasso had first approached Calle in 2018 about a potential collaboration. As one of France's preeminent contemporary artists, known for autobiographical work that traces her daily experiences and observations, Calle was an intriguing partner. However, at the time she did not feel she had a clear artistic contribution. But as plans for the new exhibition took shape over the summer, Calle curated an immersive installation that utilizes the museum itself as a medium, inserting her presence into the institution traditionally dedicated to another iconic artist.
When the pandemic hit, Calle received another invitation from the Musée Picasso that proved too compelling to refuse. Faced with Picasso's paintings wrapped and absent, an idea struck Calle. Her projects immerse the observer in rich autobiographical narratives. Yet no written description could fully convey her captivating persona and infectious enthusiasm for her work. Upon a return visit in late September, while the installation was underway, Calle's presence was immediately tangible, as if innate to the museum. Her distinctive voice echoed through every gallery, imbuing the space with her unique artistic vision and playful spirit. Though unseen, her artistic stamp and influence haunt every corner, transforming the institution into an immersive exploration of both herself and Picasso's now conspicuous absence.
The only fully visible Picasso paintings in Calle's show are three self-portraits, displayed near a copy of the French translation of Peter Cheyney's 1941 thriller that lent the exhibition its title. In another gallery, five more Picassos - Mort de Casagemas, Grande baigneuse au livre, Paul dessinant, Homme à la pipe, and La Nageuse - are veiled in white fabric printed with descriptions of the works from museum security guards. The paintings are physically present yet only visible through others' perspectives.
In a first-floor gallery, Calle features correspondence with a man arrested for stealing five masterpieces from the Musée d’Art moderne de Paris in 2010, including Picasso’s Le Pigeon aux petits pois. He admits no Picasso fandom. For Calle, it's a narrative dead-end. The partially redacted letter is exhibited, though the redactions' reasons remain unclear to viewers. Calle transforms the museum into a multi-layered exploration of memory, absence, and the traces others leave on artworks.
One of Calle's most impressive contributions is her version of Guernica. Inspired by an anecdote from Mary Gabriel's book about Arshile Gorky trying to gather artists to revisit Picasso's masterpiece, Calle did not directly invite peers but their influence remains. Her Guernica matches Picasso's dimensions but comprises 200 works from Calle's collection by artists like Christian Boltanski, Tatiana Trouvé, Miquel Barceló, Damien Hirst, and Cindy Sherman.
As connections to Picasso become more abstract, the second floor features Calle's photographs of blind individuals. In the archives, Calle discovered a letter from 1965 requesting Picasso donate a drawing to help the blind. Sixty-five years later, Calle took it upon herself to grant the request by auctioning a Picasso ceramic during the exhibition, with support from the Fundación Almine y Bernard Ruiz-Picasso. The show transforms the museum into a reflective space examining memory, artistic influence, and how individuals imprint their marks on history.
