CONSTRUCTING REALITY

German sculptor and photographer Thomas Demand’s first solo exhibition in Taipei explores how memory is more construct than reality and reflects on today’s image culture

By Kenneth Lin.

At first glance, The Stutter of History, Los Angeles-based German sculptor and photographer Thomas Demand’s first solo exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, suggests he’s photographed famous events and places across time and around the world. His photos capture important scenes that created pivotal moments in history: from the headquarters of Stasi, the former East German state security service and the Oval Office of the White House to a shot of the manual recount of votes in Florida during the 2000 US presidential election. But if you look closely, a barely discernable crease in the photo here and there reveals a secret: instead of having privileged access to these important locations, Demand created and photographed paper-and-cardboard models of indoor spaces and architecture. While these recreated scenes are realistic, they’re…

You're reading a preview of

Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.