~THOMAS DEMAND/YELLOWCAKE/303/thru DEC 22
the card for:
THOMAS DEMAND – ‘Yellowcake’
NOVEMBER 3 – DECEMBER 22, 2007
303 GALLERY – 525 WEST 22 STREET – CHELSEA – NYC
THOMAS DEMAND also presents an exhibit, focused on the reconstruction of an historical American ‘wartime’ nature – though of a more contemporary time. But, unlike Duke Riley’s concurrent exhibit, the DEMAND reconstruction, in paper and cardboard is only the first step to the final output – which are drop dead formalist hyper realist photographs – in large, almost life size scale.
(see: DUKE RILEY – ‘AFTER THE BATTLE Of BROOKLYN’ – below)
In ‘Yellowcake’ – Thomas Demand makes the Embassy of the Republic of Niger in Rome his subject.
” . . . located in an unassuming 10-story apartment building.. Its nondescript appearance belies the monumental consequences of the robbery that took place there in January 2001, when several pieces of Embassy stationery and offcial stamps and seals were stolen from the building. It is widely believed that letters that turned up shortly after the break-in – appearing to document Saddam Hussein’s attempt to purchase ‘yellowcake’ (an enriched form of urnium used in nuclear weapons) from Niger – were printed on these stolen papers. Though numerous intelligence officals and experts dismissed the documents as forgeries, President George W. Bush nevertheless sited them as a cause to go to war with Iraq.” (press release)
Demand, who bases his work on “existent” historical subjects, gained first hand access to the Embassy building .. “conversed with the embassy staff, and through these visits and interactions built his own memory of the place” – on which these photos are based.
THOMAS DEMAND, at the ‘Yellowcake’ opening, at 303 Gallery, on November 3, 2007
& an installation shot of one of the photographs – also from the opening.
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH
more photos of the exhibition can be found on the gallery website: ‘Yellowcake’ at 303
more photos of the opening to post later today, TUES NOV 6 – in the new Photo Report
(currently in production)
303 GALLERY