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Art that Teaches There is Nothing Insignificant in the World — It All Depends on Your Point of View
How two artists encourage us to look at the world differently
The German Romantic writer Goethe wrote these lines: “There is nothing insignificant in the world. It all depends on the point of view.”
The thought keeps coming back to me: that significance is bestowed by how you look at things, not merely by what you’re looking at.
It reminds me of the brilliant French artist Sophie Calle, who in 1979 found herself at a party in Paris. There she met a man known as Henri B. What happened next would initiate one of her most compelling works of art.
Transformative Power of Curiosity
Henri B told her he was about to travel to Venice on holiday. The artist sensed an opportunity. In the strange and unpredictable world of Sophie Calle, even the most mundane coincidences can become major plot twists.
Secretly, Calle followed Henri B to Venice. For two weeks she pursued him around Italy’s floating city, recording his day-to-day actions, taking photographs of him in bars and cafes, down side alleys, and lingering on bridges. She wore make-up to disguise herself: a blonde wig, hats, gloves, sunglasses…
