Hershman Leeson and Calle Explore Constructed Selfhood in Concurrent Exhibitions
Lynn Hershman Leeson’s exhibit 'Deep Fake' at Hoffman Donahue in Beverly Hills and Sophie Calle's 'Overshare' at UC Irvine’s Langson Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa delve into the complex ties between identity, documentation, and performance over time. Hershman Leeson created an alter ego, Roberta Breitmore, from 1973 to 1978, embodying her in various real-world scenarios. In 1979, Calle stalked a stranger from Paris to Venice, later hiring a private investigator in 1981. Both artists anticipated the impact of social media and surveillance. Hershman Leeson’s 'Tillie, the Telerobotic Doll' (1995) was an early internet-connected robot, while Calle’s 'True Stories' (1988-present) features personal artifacts as art. The shows highlight how digital identity, shaped by algorithms, has evolved since their early work. Hershman Leeson ended Roberta’s story with a ceremonial burning in 1978, while Calle remains off social media, pointing to the ever-changing nature of identity, now influenced by technology.
Key facts
- Lynn Hershman Leeson's exhibition 'Deep Fake' is at Hoffman Donahue in Beverly Hills, California.
- Sophie Calle's first North American survey 'Overshare' is at UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa.
- Hershman Leeson's alter ego Roberta Breitmore was active from 1973 to 1978, documented by photographers in San Francisco.
- Roberta obtained a driver's license, Weight Watchers membership, and medical history.
- Calle trailed a stranger from Paris to Venice in 1979, documenting his activities.
- In 1981, Calle's mother hired a private detective to follow her.
- Hershman Leeson's 'Tillie, the Telerobotic Doll' (1995) was among the first telerobotic devices linked to the internet.
- Calle's 'True Stories' (1988–present) includes a crimson ball gown, four-poster bed, and blond bob wig.
- Calle worked as a chambermaid in a Venetian hotel in 1981 for her hotel series.
- Hershman Leeson symbolically ended Roberta at the crypt of Lucrezia Borgia in 1978.
- Calle has never maintained a social media account.
- Both artists' works anticipate contemporary digital subjectivity and algorithmic mediation.
Entities
Artists
- Lynn Hershman Leeson
- Sophie Calle
- Roberta Breitmore
- Joan Rivière
- Robert Storr
- Lucrezia Borgia
Institutions
- Hoffman Donahue
- UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art
- Dante Hotel
- Weight Watchers
Locations
- Beverly Hills
- California
- United States
- Costa Mesa
- San Francisco
- Paris
- France
- Venice
- Italy
Sources
- Momus —