Thomas Demand at NGV

Thomas Demand's photograph Public Housing (2003) is currently part of NGV's exhibition Confounding Contemporary Photography. This photograph shows a set of apartment like buildings, with a seemingly abandoned playground in front. It has a very surreal feel to it as there are no people in the image, also the warn hues of red and brown give the photograph and eerie feel. Upon closer inspection there is a distinct lack of extra detail in the image, such as rubbish on the ground, or signs on the buildings; it appears almost too perfect. This is because the scene doesn't really exist. Demand has built this set out of paper and cardboard and then photographed the model. He often creates scenes based on photographs in the media; this specific housing complex is a drawing on the Singapore $10 dollar bill. It is a thought provoking photograph that gets the viewer to question what is real and surreal.

Thomas Demand. Public Housing (2003)