“Exquisite Pain” (Douleur Exquis) by renowned French artist Sophie Calle was an autobiographical piece, based on the loss of love and reconciliation she experienced during the 192 days of an intense love affair.

The work had previously been exhibited at the Pompidou Center in Paris. Presented in a “white box” setting, Sophie did not think that the "neutral / minimalist" exhibition design was successful in capturing the feelings in her work.

In Luxembourg, she had the opportunity to re-imagine the work in an old tram depot, collaborating with Edwin Chan to create a new exhibition design to better represent her emotional journey.

In response to the rotunda form of the depot, the exhibition is organized along two interlocking spirals; documenting the countdown towards a wedding that never took place, followed by her period of recovery after the break-up.

Along the first spiral, the photos and artifacts collected by Sophie during her 92-day journey from Paris to India were displayed against a red wall that highlights her sense of anticipation during the countdown.

Along the second spiral, photos and texts created by Sophie during the 99 days after the breakup were displayed in the form of diptychs, against a wall clad in a brushed finish stainless steel to exaggerate the sense of sadness after the missed promise.

The centerpiece of the presentation was a structure made with white translucent mesh, reminiscent of a bridal gown.

Nicknamed the “bride”, the centerpiece represented the wedding that never took place. A red telephone placed on a "bed" made with the same translucent mesh symbolized the love affair that was never consummated.

The bold decision to put her work on walls of brushed stainless steel created the play with light and reflections that gave her emotional journey an ephemeral quality.

The exhibition design was a continuation of the themes of materials exploration that began with the "Art of the Motorcycles" exhibition to create immersive art spaces and experiences to better engage visitors in a visceral way.

"Exquisite Pain" opened to the public in the summer of 2007 as one of the most attended exhibitions in Luxembourg - the European Capital of Culture that year. Sophie Calle was pleased with this unique collaboration as a highlight of her artistic journey.