Thomas Demand’s Grotto (from Catalogue Serpentine Gallery, Collector’s Edition) (2006/2009) consists of two cibachrome prints, each measuring 20.6 × 31.5 cm, accompanied by the exhibition catalogue. The photographs depict an intricately constructed paper model of a grotto, showcasing Demand’s signature method of transforming handmade cardboard reconstructions into hyperreal images. Published in an edition of 60 with 20 artist proofs, one photographic print is hand-signed, the other hand-numbered, and the catalogue itself is also numbered.

With Grotto, Thomas Demand continues his exploration of the intersection between memory, media, and constructed reality. By painstakingly building and photographing environments out of paper, he strips away context while amplifying the uncanny qualities of reproduced imagery. The grotto, a naturally formed structure recreated through artificial means, underscores Demand’s fascination with the fragile line between authenticity and illusion in contemporary photography.