Sophie Calle's relation to two fictional texts, by Hervé Guibert and Paul Auster, allows us to discuss a central issue in her poetics: the acting as a performer, set by some critics under the sign of Situationism. As her performances comprise a narrative, both their verbal and photographic aspects were analyzed, taking as an epicenter the Venetian suite (1980). What role does photography play in Calle's narratives, in which she is a character of herself? Photography is a trace of real happenings and its documental aspect supports the neutrality of written reports. It is, at the same time, the result of a performative gesture, which, while designating certain facts, converts reality into image.
photography; performance; literature; visual arts; narrative
