by Capucine Gougenheim Geagea.
Sophie Calle celebrates the unfinished at an intimate book signing at the Book Bar of the Hôtel Grand Amour
To mark the publication of *L’Inachevé*, Sophie Calle sheds light on what the creative process usually leaves in the shadows: interrupted projects, abandoned paths, and ideas left hanging. Presented during an intimate book signing at the BookBar of the Hôtel Grand Amour, this collection explores the unfinished not as a deficiency, but as a form of artistic accomplishment.
The Unfinished as a Form of Art in Its Own Right
To mark the release of *L’Inachevé*, Sophie Calle hosted a rare and intimate gathering at the BookBar of the Hôtel Grand Amour on February 12.
A book signing conceived as a natural extension of her work, an intimate gathering to present this book—designed as a personal journal—and to pay tribute to her friend “Emmanuel Delavenne, whose life ended too soon,”co-founder of the Amour hotels and the inspiration behind the “stylish rooms” at Le Fooding, to whom Sophie Calle dedicated the book.
In this new book published by Actes Sud, the artist brings together projects left unfinished, abandoned paths, interrupted gestures, and areas where ideas come to a halt—never disappearing, not as regrets, but as material in their own right.
Each narrative bears the mark of its interruption, indicated by a red note revealing the cause.
Together, they form a discreet counterpoint to *Histoires vraies*, first published in 1994, and shed new light on several decades of creative work.
A tribute and dedication to the co-founder of Amours Hotels, who passed away too soon
Here we find what runs through Sophie Calle’s entire body of work: the role of chance, unexpected encounters, an eye for the imperfections of reality, and above all, the conviction that the unfinished is not a deficiency, but a form of fulfillment.
Failure becomes a driving force here; the attempt an end in itself.
This reflection builds on the one initiated during the exhibition “À toi de faire, ma mignonne,” presented at the Musée Picasso in 2023, where the artist had already chosen to show her unfinished projects, laying bare the intimate mechanics of creation without filter.
In the cozy atmosphere of the BookBar, this gathering took on the feel of a casual conversation, with everyone settled into the sofas near the bookshelf. It was a moment to celebrate a body of work that, since the late 1970s, has deliberately blurred the boundaries between art and life, text and image, fiction and reality.
An approach that echoes this quote from Pablo Picasso, often cited by Sophie Calle: “the almost-finished as a living space.”
A thought that resonates particularly in this book, where what did not take place finally finds its form and what has disappeared remains
We look forward to the upcoming inauguration of the artist’s room, as she takes up residence in the hotel, initially invited by her friend Emmanuel.
BookBar – Hôtel Grand Amour
18 Rue de la Fidélité
Paris 10th arrondissement
