the hotel sophie calle

in 1981 sophie calle took a job as a chambermaid for the hotel c in venice, italy. stashing her camera and tape recorder in her mop bucket, she not only cleans and tidies, but sorts through the evidence of the hotel guests' lives. assigned 12 rooms on the fourth floor, she surveys the state of the guests' bedding, their books, newspapers and postcards, perfumes and cologne, traveling clothes and costumes for carnival. she methodically photographs the contents of closets and suitcases, examining the detritus in the rubbish bin and the toiletries arranged on the washbasin. she discovers their birth dates and blood types, diary entries, letters from and photographs of lovers and family. she eavesdrops on arguments and love-making. she retrieves a pair of shoes from the wastebasket and takes two chocolates from a neglected box of sweets, while leaving behind stashes of money, pills and jewelry. her thievery is the eye of the camera, observing the details that were not meant for her, or us, to see.