Ray Banhoff

Supersosia

Curated by Paolo Woods and Kublaiklan
Produced for Cortona On The Move 2025 by Associazione Culturale ONTHEMOVE

Being Jesus’s double would go to many people’s heads, but not Ray Banhoff’s. He has travelled all over Italy in search of his fellow lookalikes. The provinces produce hordes of them, who more or less resemble their heroes, and they interpret them with devotion. Banhoff creates portraits composed of images and texts, where the obsession with fame is embodied in the phenomenon of lookalikes. From Freddie Mercury to Vasco Rossi, from Totti to Berlusconi, from Lady Gaga to Liz Taylor, the protagonists of Supersosia managed to carve out a place in the world and even redeem themselves by stepping into the shoes of their idols. They became themselves by becoming someone else, often inheriting their charisma. Unconcerned about appearing strange, the lookalikes carry a clear message to the world: no one can tell you who you are.