Thomas Demand – L'esprit d'escalier

L’Esprit d’Escalier, derives from the French phrase which literally means ‘wit of the staircase’ and refers to the regret one feels after missing an opportunity to deliver a witty comeback or parting shot.

Demand is best known for his unique approach to photography – the subjects of his large-format photographs are painstakingly constructed three-dimensional, life-size models of architecture and objects, devoid of human presence. Once they have been photographed, the models are destroyed. Demand also makes 35 mm films, setting his cinematic still images in motion.

The book was published on the occasion of the exhibition Thomas Demand, L'Esprit d'Escalier at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2007.

With text by Dave Eggers, Caoimhin Mac Giolla Leith, Paul Oliver, David Foster Wallace, Ulrich Baer, Rachael Thomas, and Enrique Juncosa.