Excerpt from “Do the clones dream of digital superheroes?”by Juan F. Ferré, in the occasion of Casado’s solo show at Galería JM:
“In his new series “Agnus Dei”, José Carlos Casado connects with [previous series] newbody, this time also worrying about contemporary global conflicts and its perverse way to take control. He reflects on the American empire’s claim of control and economic as well as military domination, with the resulting appropriation of resources and preservation of the global supremacy over that other part of the world – the oriental – that threatens to develop its big potential on all fronts. Using a critical and ironic tone, the artist allegorizes the redemption showing the sacrifice of the mythic superhero comes down: Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Agnus Dei, based in a painting by Caravaggio with the same title, composed by the picture of a lamb prepared for the sacrifice. This original series represents the American hero mortified, presented as ridiculous redeemer, sent to fulfill absurd missions in landscapes and sceneries of Asia, whose threat to turn into the next superpower is imminent. A sarcastic political comment directed at the future from the closest present and presented on the blurred border between the fictitious and the real, which characterizes the complex work of Casado.”