Sophie Calle in “Between Worlds”
Sophie Calle
Descriptive audio version available here.
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With a mischievous smile on her face, one of the most influential artists of our time, Sophie Calle, roams the galleries of her exhibition at the Musée Picasso Paris before arriving at her temporary office in the museum where hundreds of fans and admirers get to meet the artist and leave her messages each day. This documentary short explores over five decades of often autobiographical and profoundly touching work that’s inspired generations of artists and art admirers. Across countless works of photography, film, writing, and installation, the artist sets strict rules and rituals for her work, playfully exploring the universal themes of love, death, connection, and loss. Whether appraising all her earthly belongings, burying years’ worth of damaged artworks and personal effects in an ancient underground cavern, or installing her life’s work compiled in a retrospective at the Walker Art Center, Calle models a career that uniquely blurs the boundaries between art and life. “There is no method,” says Calle. “I’m used to using parts of my life, I don’t wonder why I do it. I just do it.”
This film was directed by Bryan Chang and Leah Galant, produced by Zeshawn Ali and Bryan Chang, edited by Zara Serabian-Arthur, and photographed by Eric Phillips-Horst.
Featured artists
About the artists
Sophie Calle was born in 1953 in Paris, France, and lives and works in Malakoff, France. Working across photography, installation, text, performance, and video, Calle playfully explores themes central to the human experience, such as death, desire, love, and loss, often with the assistance of collaborators who may or may not know they are participating in the work. In her practice, Calle constructs specific conditions to create her works: inviting friends and strangers to sleep in her bed and be photographed, taking a cross-country road trip with a video camera, or only consuming monochromatic foods. Across this body of work and set of methods that defy neat categorization, the artist investigates the boundaries between the self and the other, realizes universal human truths, and collapses distinctions between art and life.
Educator Guides provide information about selected artists and themes, questions for classroom discussions, and hands-on activities that provide students with a fundamental understanding of creative and critical thinking processes.
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