Demand’s photos show us rooms the artist has never been into, because they do not depict a real-world reality. What we see are models that have been meticulously formed by Demand from paper and cardboard which, however, may be based on photos of found room situations. They are “reproductions of a reproduction” (Michael Wetzel). In this confusion, simulation and documentation become indistinguishable; familiarity gives way to uncertainty. The sterile, uncanny quiet that Demand’s photos communicate is connected to the complete absence of any trace of use.

The photo artist, who has also studied architecture, uses “typological pictures” as models for his reconstructions – photos of public places such a corridors, staircases or desks inside buildings. The picture Labor (Laboratory) shows something approximating wall insulation that is used for sound-proofing rooms. The artist has made increasing use of photos of locations which have been published in the media as a starting point for his simulations. Demand’s multi-stage picture construction is the result of detective work and lengthy selection processes.

Wolfgang Kos, 2005 (translation: Tim Sharp)