The artist will also receive a diploma and a gold medal, which will be presented to her on Saturday 30 October 2010 at a ceremony at the Göteborg City Theatre.

The Hasselblad Foundation, in a statement, says: "For more than three decades, French artist Sophie Calle has been questioning and challenging the relationship between text and photography, private and public personae, truth and fiction, in a groundbreaking, utterly original way. Her conceptually oriented work depicts human vulnerability and examines the interrelationship between identity and intimacy as well as the construction of official history. It evokes narrative, affect and emotion in ways that at the same time touch the viewer deeply and makes her reflect on the possibilities as well as limits of photography. Her contribution to the understanding of the medium of photography has inspired younger generations of artists."

Last year, Whitechapel Gallery in London presented a major exhibition of Calle's work, including series such as Take Care of Yourself and The Sleepers.

Previous winners of the Hasselblad Award include Malick Sidibé, William Eggleston, Robert Frank, Susan Meiselas, Richard Avedon, Sebastião Salgado and Ansel Adams among many others.