MUSEmemoirs

Info:

Dates: 3.10.23 – 28.01.24

Curator: Sophie Calle & Cécile Godefroy

Where: Musée Picasso de Paris

Price: 14 euro/ 11 euro reduit

In the context of the cultural programs commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, the museum dedicated to the iconic artist, Musée Picasso in Paris, takes an unexpected turn by filling its four floors not with the familiar collection but with the artworks of Sophie Calle, the renowned French painter (1953-.).

Calle’s exhibition unveils a meticoulous preparation undertaken by the artist in the years leading up to this showcase. The artist herself expresses in a personal declaration her initial apprehensions about accepting the museum’s ambitious yet challenging proposal to replace Picasso in such a significant year. She eventually embraced the opportunity, revealing a well-defined vision for the contents and intentions she aimed to convey.

“2019. First rendezvous and proposal for occupying the Musée Picasso in 2023, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the artist’s death. Without HIM, if I prefer. My mother’s words wend their way in, imposture syndrome in their wake. (…) Second rendezvous at the Musée Picasso, during the lockdown. No visitors. The Picassos were under protection, wrapped up, hidden. Underneath – a ghost-like, less intimidating presence that I immediately photographed. Even before I knew it, I had accepted”

– Sophie Calle

The exhibition is structured across four floors, each delineating a distinct section. The first, titled “Picalso”, is dedicated to the artist’s relationship with Picasso’s artworks. Calle had the unique opportunity to visit the museum during lockdown, when the artworks were wrapped for preservation, as the museum was closed to the public. This became a source of inspiration for one of the exhibition’s central themes: the notion of absence and, more broadly, loss. The concept of loss spans from the last memory of visually impaired individuals, conveying their emotions, to the personal loss of her parents.

In her distinctive style, Sophie Calle pays homage to Picasso by referencing specific works. Noteworthy, on the ground floor, is Calle’s reinterpretation of Guernica, a sort of collage of artworks from her private collection, displayed on the wall, precisely mirroring the dimension of the original masterpiece. She references the great painter in a personal and unique manner, at times provocative, such as with the veiled paitings featuring impressions of their descriptions by the staff, showing their thoughts and comments instead of the actual paintings. As the visit progresses through the other floors, it gradually distances itself from the direct confrontation with Picasso, leaving space to an unprecedented retrospective of Calle’s artworks.

Given the unique and original format of Calle’s pieces, the visitor is encouraged to invest a consistent amount of time in the museum, in order to fully appreciate every text-artwork and its significance. Understanding Calle’s work implies carefully reading, allowing for a profound connection with the artist’s intentions and reflections. These almost ‘interactive’ artworks engage the viewers, and despite the artist’s physical absence, she succeeds in initiating a dialogue with her audience. It’s common, during the visit, to witness people fully immersed, emotionally moved, and even laughing at the pieces, emphasizing Calle’s power to communicate with the audience through her art, reaching everyone.

The fourth and final floor amuses the visitor with a ‘catalogue raisonné of Calle’s incomplete works’, offering a playful and original display of her unfinished projects. This section perfectly attests the artist’s incredibly prolific and diverse career, along with her unique sense of self-humor, which makes the whole exhibition an unparalleled and captivating experience.

“To the visitors who have come from far away to see Picassos, I want to say that I alone am the reason for their absence. Stung by remorse, I am offering you a tete-à-tete with ‘La Celestina’, in the museum chapel”

– Sophie Calle

My personal highlights:

• Guernica
• Aveugle au revolver (2010)
• Bob (2017)

Official translations from the museum’s English pamphlet:

*“‘Paul Drawing’, ‘Man with a Pipe’, ‘Swimming Woman’, ‘The Death of Casagemas’ and ‘Bather with a book’ were missing due to loan. I asked the curators, guards and other museum staff to describe them to me” When they returned, I veiled them in the memories they leave behind their absence”

** “Because I burst out laughing when I discover him in one of the church’s alleys. Because I can’t believe my eyes. Because he seems to be asking himself what’s happening to him. Because I ask myself if the faithful see what I see”