Photographs by Chinese photographer Lei Jiang, who lives and works in Shanghai, often start with careful scenic work. Emblematic is the project “The mortal Agent (Demigod),” a shot of which he is also presenting at the Liquida photofestival 2023 in Turin. The series of photographs show a cultural union through a coexistence of religious icons, particularly Buddhist icons, evoked by the large statues of Buddha, and polytheistic icons of ancient Greece, emphasized by the presence of classical sculptures. Although the techniques of the two types of sculptures are different in materials, the Buddhist ones in wood and the Greek ones in marble, on the whole they appear in harmony. On the other hand, the contrast is highlighted by an ironic aspect: the Greek statues often wear kimonos and colorful tunics, covering their nudity on the one hand and downplaying their inconsistency of context on the other.

Lei Jiang makes “The mortal Agent (Demigod)” with the intention of investigating the concept of religion and its role within human history. The photographer highlights how there are more than 4,000 religious systems in the world, which coexist with each other and exist because of man’s tendency to believe in something superior, probably in order to be able to explain certain phenomena and at the same time not to stop hoping. It is evident how religion is decisive within a cultural system, influencing its habits and behavior. Lei Jiang, through this photographic series, makes explicit religious coexistence and possible peaceful coexistence, creating a new visual iconography that tends toward the surreal.

Lei Jiang’s work is featured in the selection of the Liquida Photofestival in Torino, 2023.