The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art will be holding a full-scale reproduction of the internationally acclaimed French contemporary artist Sophie Calle's solo exhibition "Extreme Localized Pain," which was held at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art 19 years ago and garnered a huge response. The exhibition, "Sophie Calle - Extreme Localized Pain" from the Hara Museum Collection, will run from January 5 to March 28, 2019.

Sophie Calle Exquisite Pain, 1984-2003 
© Sophie Calle / ADAGP, Paris 2018 and JASPAR, Tokyo, 2018
This exhibition was Calle's first solo exhibition at a Japanese art museum, and after the exhibition ended, all of the works on display were added to the museum's collection. "Extremely localized pain" is a medical term that refers to sharp, localized pain or suffering that affects a specific part of the body (a small area). Calle's own pain and healing from her own experience of heartbreak were captured in this work, using photographs and text. The book is composed of two parts: the first part is a record of the events leading up to the worst day of her life, written in letters to her loved ones and photographs; the second part is a record of her story, written in beautiful photographs and embroidery, depicting how she gradually healed her own emotional wounds by sharing her tale of misfortune with others and listening to their most painful experiences in return.

Photo : Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Her works have always sparked controversy, such as "Sleeping People" (1979), in which she invited strangers into her home and filmed them sleeping in her bed, then added interviews; "Hotel" (1981), in which she worked as a maid at a hotel in Venice and filmed the rooms of guests staying there; and "Address Book" (1983), in which she found an address book and interviewed the people listed in it about its owner, and serialized the book in the daily newspaper Liberation. While producing her early masterpieces such as "True Stories" and "Venice Suite" in the 1990s, she also engaged in deep reflections on vision and perception, which lie at the very core of art, in her series focusing on the blind, beginning with "Blind People" (1986).

Furthermore, inspired by Calle's way of life, Paul Auster used her as the model for Maria Turner, a character in his novel "Leviathan," which led to the creation of "Double Game" (1998), in which Calle played Turner. Her work has attracted widespread attention beyond the framework of contemporary art. "Sophie Calle - Localized Excruciating Pain," 1999-2000, exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art.
© Sophie Calle / ADAGP, Paris 2018 and JASPAR, Tokyo, 2018
"Localized Excruciating Pain," a work that emerged from the artist's stay in Japan, was first produced in Japanese for an exhibition at the Hara Museum in 1999, in response to the artist's wish to present the work in Japan first. French and English versions were subsequently published around the world. The French version was included in a major solo exhibition at the Pompidou Museum of Modern Art (2003-2004), and later added to the museum's collection.

What's unique about the second part of "Localized Severe Pain" is that the text is entirely embroidered. Having received information from the artist that "there is an exceptionally skilled craftsman in France who can embroider exactly like the sample," the plan was initially to have the Japanese text hand-embroidered in France, but a fortunate chance encounter with someone at an embroidery factory in Niigata led to the completion of a huge number of machine-embroidered Japanese versions. The fabric was the artist's favorite linen, which was ordered from Belgium, and the artist was extremely pleased with the results. As a result, French and English versions were also produced in Niigata. The text, which could be said to be the lifeblood of Sophie's work, was completed by copywriter Momoko Takeuchi, who incorporated the nuances of the original text into the Japanese version. "Sophie Calle - Localized Severe Pain," 1999-2000, exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art.
© Sophie Calle / ADAGP, Paris 2018 and JASPAR, Tokyo, 2018
The subjects of Part 1 were all stored together in one place, including mementos that had been sealed away for 15 years. These included handwritten notes documenting her movements, maps, Polaroids, contact prints, (Chinese) banknotes, and even a key to a certain hotel that should not have been there. The artist, who decided to create the series, opened these items and revisited the locations as needed, relying on her notes and memories, completing the series over the course of several years. In the second part of the exhibition, philosophers and artists shared their own most painful experiences with Calle's. One of them is French contemporary artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, who held a solo exhibition at the museum in 2012. An artist talk (the artist is scheduled to visit Japan) will be held in The Hall of the Hara Museum on February 1st during the exhibition. Details will be posted on the Hara Museum website as soon as they are confirmed. On Sundays and holidays, curators will provide gallery guides. The Museum Shop will sell the French version of "Douleur Exquise" with an exclusive Japanese translation. Additionally, Café d'Art, located within the museum, offers seasonal sweets, meals, and drinks while admiring the artworks on display in the lush garden. "Image Cakes" (755 yen) will be available to purchase in conjunction with the current exhibition. During the exhibition, Sophie Calle's solo exhibitions will also be held at two locations in Tokyo. From February 2nd to March 5th, 2019, Gallery Koyanagi will be hosting "Sophie Calle «Parce Que » (Because)," and from February 2nd to March 5th, Perrotin Tokyo will be hosting "Sophie Calle «Ma mère, mon chat, mon père, dans cet ordre. » (My mother, my cat, my father, in that order.)," and the artist is scheduled to visit Japan.
Why not experience Calle's work, which exposes her own life and confronts the lives of others?