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Review | God of Botox, god of travel visas? Chinese artist exhibits 21st century deities to worship
Artist Zhang Xiao creates gods for our 21st century desires – think social media trends, photography and more. Some have gone on show
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In Chinese society, gods have their own specialities – as deities in many other cultures do.
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Just as one would go to an ophthalmologist for eye problems, one can pray to the God of Literature (who, in Hong Kong, lives at Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan) for better grades or a promotion at work.
If it is money you want, then the merciful and plentiful Kwun Yum, or Guanyin, is the goddess to go to. As for that other universal wish – good health – the gods Hau Wong and Che Kung are popular choices.
But who do we turn to for our more modern needs? Which god should you pray to for a successful Botox treatment, or bug-free programming code?
Do Uber drivers and food delivery workers look to Mazu, the goddess of the sea who has protected fishermen for centuries, for guidance or do they need a new guardian?
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And if they do, why not create new gods? After all, humans do just that in American Gods, a Neil Gaiman novel about the clash between the old and new deities born from our obsessions.
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