Sophie Calle Experiment

I was told about an artist and photograpgher called Sophie Calle. We were told about some of her experiments such as a project where she pretended to be someone else and hired a private investigator to follow herself round. She then went to places that meant things to her, such as where she had her first kiss. She then tried to see his perspective on the place and on her.
 For my experiment, I went to Tuckton Tea Gardens as my Great Nan and Great Grandad would take me and two of my cousins there. This brought back many memories for me because my Great Grandad died earlier in the year. I thought that because this brought back many memories, I should take a picture of a memorial at the place...

One of the strong memories I have, is going there for lunch and me and one of my cousins climbing a certain tree. From what I remember, the tree used to feel really big and high compared to me, however when I went there to do this project, it seemed very small.

I remember climbing up the right hand side and walking up part of the branch and sometimes I couldn't get down and my Great Grandad would have to come and get me. This is what Tuckton Tea Gardens ment to me, the memories of my Great Nan and Great Grandad.
The place means many different things to different people for some people it is a place of work, for this I went into the tea rooms and asked if I could take a picture of one of them working, as the place would mean a place of work to them.

There is also a boat-hire where some people work, however when I went, it was closed so I could only take photos of some of the boats that people use.

The area is also a place for dog walking for many people. When I first arrived at the place, there was a couple on there way back walking there dog so I asked them if I could take a picture of them for a photography project.

The place also means something to animals, to dogs it can be a place of freedom to run around, and a place to meet new dogs.

It is also a place of food for birds such as swans and seagulls. Another memory I have, is when we were throwing some bread to the swans and ducks and my youngest cousin tried to hand feed a swan and it bit her hand.

I find that the area is a place for bonding with yours friends or parents, for example on a bike ride or at the play park with friends.

Some people also live by the river, so to some people it is a home to them.


To some people it is a place to make friends and have convosations with others.

This place means many things to many people and gives people many memories. This can be a very important and special place to many varieties of people.


Sophie Calle


Sophie Calle is French and was born in 1953, she is famous for her extreme ideas and experiments with art and photography. Some of the experiments were not legal, however they were still very interesting and intriguing . One of her projects, called 'The Shadow' involved her hiring a private detective to follow her around without him knowing that she arranged it. He followed her for a day taking photographs of her, she pretended that it was a normal day for her, going to normal places. However, the places that she went to, were normal places to random people, but the places had a meaning to her, for example, the park or bench where she had her first kiss. This why I chose Tuckton Tea Gardens for my project as it had a personal meaning for me.



She also did a project as a temporary chambermaid in Venice. She made a piece of work about what she imagined the guests to be like and things about them based on the personal belongings that they had in the room they were staying in. For each room, she would take a picture of, the undone bed and bedsheets, other objects that she found in the room and a day by day description of what she found there.