What is real about a photo? Thomas Demand
The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is currently hosting the exhibition “Nationalgalerie” by Thomas Demand. His work is usually based on a scene of political meaning. First he rebuilds the place of interest entirely from paper-based product. The scenes are mostly indoors, devoid of humans and have that bureaucratic touch in the very sense of the word - bureaus and offices. These sculptured scenes are very detailed and in themselves already a form of art. Yet the scenes are created only to be photographed and then destroyed afterwards. Thus the work is based on a photograph taken of a constructed copy of an existing space. I doubt that the subtle weirdness of these photographs, that make his work so very stunning to consume large scale at the exhibition, will come across as strongly on a computerscreen or a small-sized print.
The fictional reality observed in Demands works can be absolutely fascinating. This fascination has gripped many people and the exhibition is packed.
For the current exhibition “Nationalgalerie” in Berlin, Demand collaborates with the author Botho Strauß who contributes previously unpublished texts accompanying each photograph which (contrary to Strauß’ many critics) I find to work very well with the photographic works. Not only are the texts outstanding literary works, but also do they contribute to the particularly undefinable aftertaste of the photographs.
The exhibition continues until January 17th 2010.
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