Dear Shaded Viewers,
The Musée Picasso in Paris hosts “À toi de faire, ma mignonne,” an exhibition from October 3, 2023, to January 7, 2024, spanning all four floors. It marks 50 years since Picasso’s death and features Sophie Calle’s exploration of mortality, a theme central to her work since the 1970s. The display includes her obituary and chosen coffin, plus a houseful of personal items from her Malakoff residence. She transforms these belongings, including her piano and a taxidermied giraffe named after her mother, into a deeply personal installation mimicking the footprint of Picasso’s “Guernica.”
Calle’s art often intertwines personal experiences with broader concepts, evidenced in works like “Les Dormeurs” and “Suite Vénitienne.” Her approach addresses the practicalities of death and inheritance, reflecting her life without children and the impact of her father’s death on her art.
At the exhibition, she confronts both her “imposter syndrome” and Picasso’s legacy. One ground floor room features photographs of covered paintings, while “phantoms” of loaned-out artworks are reimagined with staff descriptions. The show’s title, borrowed from a 1941 thriller, suggests a challenge from Picasso, which Calle envisions as a benevolent invitation to engage with his work and legacy.
Later,
Diane
