Theme:

With the powerful resurgence of religion in current socio-political and philosophical debates, esse explores its echoes in the field of the visual arts. Following recent discussions on the place of religion in contemporary art, this issue examines how artists are responding to this question. The artists whose work is featured in this issue—who create fictional works with a critical or humorous slant; borrow, subvert, or combine religious codes; make direct or symbolic references; or reproduce certain rituals—address the theme of religion through situations that reveal the nature of its current significance.