Sophie Calle

Photo Poche #101

by Sophie Calle, Clément Chéroux (Introduction)

The perfect primer on acclaimed French artist Sophie Calle, this book reproduces images from her most important works. Sophie Calle is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Her work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. She is renowned for her detective-like ability to follow strangers and investigate their private lives, which she has deployed in her renowned works Suite Vénitienne , The Hotel , and Address Book . She has had major exhibitions all over the world, including at the Venice Biennale, the Whitechapel Gallery in London, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and has also worked closely with the writer Paul Auster. The Guardian called her “the Marcel Duchamp of dirty laundry,” and she was among the names in Blake Gopnik’s “10 Most Important Artists of Today,” with Gopnik arguing, “It is the unartiness of Calle’s work―its refusal to fit any of the standard pigeonholes, or over anyone’s sofa―that makes it deserve space in museums.” A new entry in the acclaimed Photofile series, Sophie Calle contains over one hundred reproductions together with a critical introduction by Clément Chéroux and a full bibliography of the artist.  118 illustrations

Genres: Art, Photography

176 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

Sophie Calle is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Calle's work is distinguished by its use of arbitrary sets of constraints, and evokes the French literary movement of the 1960s known as Oulipo. Her work frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. She is recognized for her detective-like ability to follow strangers and investigate their private lives. Her photographic work often includes panels of text of her own writing.

Reviews

[Mai M Ibrahim · Rating 3 out of 5]

الفكرة لطيفة
مقتطفات من حياتها مع صور أو صورة وتعليق بقصة
الكاتبة هي مصورة
هصور الكتب بتاعتها اللي لاقتها ف المكتبة وهنزلها ع قناة "عن الفن" ع اليوتيوب 👇
@3nelfn

[Aeroyou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent aperçu du travail de l’artiste. Extraits bien choisis.

[Ena M. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What i wouldn’t do to spend a little time inside this woman’s head. Forever mesmerised

[Jiaying · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another proud addition to my Photofile book series collection! I first encountered Sophie Calle’s works during a difficult time, while grieving a heartbreak. It was at a local library that I stumbled upon Exquisite Pain, and her work immediately resonated with me. This book beautifully encapsulates the breadth of her artistic journey, showcasing her bold and honest approach to sharing vulnerable, deeply human moments through her conceptual works, often paired with her evocative writings.

For me, any handwritten notes or postcard-sized framed photographs instantly evoke thoughts of Mademoiselle Sophie Calle. What sets her apart is not just the therapeutic quality of her storytelling but her ability to make those moments universally relatable. One of my favorite works is Take Care of Yourself, where she invited women from around the world to interpret a break-up email she received—transforming personal pain into a profound collective narrative. It was said to help her distance and work on the path toward healing too.

Recently, I came across a mini-documentary on Sophie Calle, which was a visual treat! Having to watch behind-the-scenes footage or real-life glimpses into the lives of my favorite artists. If you're curious, you can watch it here:
https://www.cultureunplugged.com/docu...

[Nani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a friend – a photographer – who made a sudden visit to Brooklyn and I happened to be in Brooklyn, too, with a mattress in the office room, so I offered for her to stay with me. We were hanging out in the living room of a top-floor brownstone and we were sitting across each other, a couple of lit candles between us, and we were talking about how we feel about having children, and she mentioned this text that is in the book, accompanied with a photo of a white statue, a sleeping woman, on the grass.

Today My Mother Died
On December 27, 1986, my mother wrote in her diary: "My mother died today."
On March 15, 2006, in turn, I wrote in mine: "My mother died today."
No one will say this about me.
The end.

I really enjoyed the photos and the text that accompanies them. It is a light but arresting book to read; the perfect book to read on rainy summer days in Brooklyn, while looking out once in a while, to see how the wind moves leaves outside.

The Blind
I met people who were born blind. Who had never seen.
I asked them what their image of beauty was.

White
White must be the color of purity. I'm told white is beautiful. So I think it's beautiful. But even if it weren't beautiful, it would be the same thing.

[Akin]

On the whole unsatisfactory. Primers, by definition, offer a representative sliver of a body of work. In this case, the question is, representative of what? Calle’s work makes sense in context. Context, beyond the artist’s (often quixotic) précis, remains an abstraction. We know what she did. Why, however, remains beyond the reader’s grasp.

My sense is that this book does no one no favours. Calle emerges as a pencilled in biographical sketch; the reader gains little insight into the relevance of her work; the publisher hops over the chance to win new converts. Pity.

[Siri Hsu]

Sophie Calle是我第一個喜歡上的藝術家，高中時對她的Chambre avec vue 一見鐘情，後來讀繁體譯本的《極度疼痛》和Suite Vénitienne ，更加折服。恰巧今晨策展課上老師放了Suite Vénitienne 的照片，夜間從書架上抽出於South London Gallery購入的這本Sophie Calle選集，完成我身為粉絲遲來的功課，一鼓作氣讀完，把她重要的作品過了一輪，暢快酣然。

注：看到Goodreads 評論區書友對本書的批評——單純的節選呈現，去脈絡並缺乏進一步的藝術家研究。說得都對。本書顯然就是像作品集一樣的切片，Calle的生涯速寫。如果想要讀Calle在藝術史上的地位何以重要、承繼什麼傳統、創作特色等等，introduction可以起到拋磚引玉、淺嚐即止的作用，但可以左轉去找Calle自己的essay或者個展專刊（不過都到這個地位了，寫她的文章應該也不會少吧！）

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Korrekturlesingen av brevet eksen din brukte for å slå opp med deg

"Kan ikke møte deg i new dehli, jeg er på sykehuset" (han var på sykehuset for å fikse en betent negl og var der i maks ti minutter)

Calle har en evne til å se verden rundt seg. Ting som om de hadde skjedd med andre hadde gått umarkert, deler hun med verden gjennom usedvanlige ensomme men også håpefulle bilder.

Brydde meg ikke så mye om bildene av folk som så havet for første gang.

[Kassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to Sophie Calle. To see the ways in which he brain operates and how she poetically describes experiences from her life. She is unique and unlike any person. I’m inspired by her outlook on life.

[Lluna · Rating 4 out of 5]

està bé per fer un repàs general de l'obra de la sophie calle. clar que no entra en profunditat en cap projecte seu, pro es que l'objectiu del llibre no és aquest

(i quin gust tenir llibres macos físicament, jo l'obro i m'emociono, aquesta edició és el pinacle del moderneig urbanita sadly)

[Diego Eraso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the work of Sophie Calle, the introductory essay is very well constructed.

[Inés Wotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting i liked!

[Geertje · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to come back to. Sophie Calle will never lose her genius.

[Maddison Colvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sampler platter of everything I love about Sophie Calle.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

8.5/10

[Audra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me interested to learn more about her work. I liked the stuff about the breakup letter and the final images of the blind.

[Cloé Fontaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parce que Calle. Du génie.

[pitchoun' · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai bien aimé regarder ça petits bouts par petits bouts y'a des pages qui m'ont vraiment fait sourire et plein de trucs surprenants (ma préférée c'est l'ado qui dit il se la pète à propos du mec qui dramatise sa rupture)

[Alisa Cupcakeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai découvert le travail de Sophie Calle lors d'une exposition au Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (MAC) au Chili, intitulée "Prenez soin de vous", que j'ai vraiment appréciée. Ce livre compile une partie de son œuvre et de son projet artistique, toujours à la recherche d'histoires à raconter et de choses quotidiennes à montrer, telles que des chambres d'hôtels, des cartes de ruptures amoureuses et des journaux.

[Luna Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

sophie calle is calle-ing
as always

[Clemygd · Rating 5 out of 5]

en admiration totale de tout son travail, de sa fantaisie perpétuelle

[Moé · Rating 5 out of 5]

joli résumé de l’œuvre de sophie calle ❤️