Script of Demolition - Alina Schmuch

In the high-stakes world of building demolition, mere seconds separate the ignition of a blast from a structure’s collapse, yet the meticulous planning behind it can take weeks. Blasting relies on technical expertise, conveyed through detailed drawings and captured by multiple cameras from various angles. These images are later overlaid with the blaster’s plans, aligning intention with outcome through a continuous calibration between vision and reality.

In Script of Demolition, artist Alina Schmuch delves into this precise craft, using the extensive photographic archive of the Fink family, professional blasters. The publication features a variety of media—from 8mm film to digital images—capturing the structured choreography of collapsing chimneys, TV towers, and buildings. These images, recorded with a deliberate avoidance of aesthetic embellishment, reveal the raw and calculated artistry behind controlled demolition, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of technical drawing, photography, and destruction.