L'ascenseur occupe la 501

Between 1978 and 1981, Sophie Calle clandestinely explored the disused Palais d’Orsay hotel. She chose room 501 as her base and, without any pre-established method, photographed the premises, which had been abandoned for five years. In the course of her incursions, she collected found objects: room numbers, guest files, messages addressed to a certain “Oddo”…

What happened to room 501? More than 40 years later, it has disappeared and an elevator has taken its place. At the invitation of Donatien Grau, curator at the Musée d’Orsay, Sophie Calle returns, equipped with a flashlight, to explore the premises during the suspended time of confinement. Here, she tracks down the ghosts of the Palais d’Orsay, joined in the present by those of visitors who have deserted the museum.