Thursday, January 2, 2014

last seen.



Beside the fact that everyone should go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum just because it is very unique and wonderful I HIGHLY recommend seeing the Sophie Calle exhibit currently on view. I am a huge fan of Calle's work and she is rarely exhibited in the US so even more reason to see it.

Last Seen focuses on the infamous thefts of a number of Vermeer's and other valuable works that occurred in the early 90's. The original work was done soon after the theft while the newer part of the project was done very recently. Calle photographs the "space" where the missing artwork once was and asks people what do they see? Exhibiting the transcription of their responses next to the image.
The fascinating part is that some people do not even realize the artwork is missing (which if you know the museum makes more sense then if you don't) and those that do remember the artworks  reminisce about them and their power or beauty in utterly different ways from each other. Describing varied works of art that are actually the same piece. It simply seemed to prove to me that beauty is completely  in the eye of the beholder and how a viewer responds to a work is totally and utterly based on their unique point of view.

Go see it. Read more about it here.

Read previous post about Calle's "sleeper" project and "ceremony" project.

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