Script of Demolition

"Script of Demolition" documents the visual methodology behind controlled industrial demolitions through an examination of the Fink family demolition company's 60-year archive.

The project reveals how blast specialists prepare for structural destruction: technicians create complex technical drawings predicting collapse sequences before detonation, multiple cameras record the actual implosion from various angles, and these drawings are then superimposed over photographs for verification and refinement.

The book compiles diverse imaging media—including 8mm film and digital photography—presenting movement sequences of collapsing chimneys, TV towers, and buildings documented according to technical rather than aesthetic criteria. By appropriating and recontextualizing these utilitarian industrial archives, Schmuch examines the relationship between visual documentation, planning, and reality.