The M/V Tampa Incident

The first photo shows Christmas Island as seen from the sea; it could have been taken from the M/V Tampa, waiting off the shore of the island, just outside australian territorial waters. The second photo shows the ship itself, and is reminiscent of aerial photos of Tampa shown by the media during the conflict. Two different postitions, the people on the inside watching the ones waiting outside – and vice versa.

The model lanscape is lighted and photographed in a way that conveys an initial impression of authenticity. But as you continue to watch it is transformed – the horizon and the vast panoramic view shrink into a small, artificial world. We journey between different worlds and viewpoints. For me it is about the relation between the images of the incident the media presented at the time, and the reconstructed landscape that lingered in my mind long after it had ended.