SHANGHAI FISHING (2020 - 2022) Rod. Lines. Hooks. Baits.  In the early morning light, lone figures are standing along rivers and canals, under bridges and highways, dwarfed by rows of residential towers and construction sites. In the midst of a built environment meant to liberate men from the constraints of nature, they cast their rods in silence. Standing still, as to be almost indiscernible, they seem oblivious of their surroundings and solely remain focused on the small stretch of water in front of them.  Ocean. Seas. Lakes. Canals.  From ancient times to the present day, water has played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of the Yangtze River Delta, now one of the world’s largest urban agglomerations. Particularly so at its most important hub, Shanghai, which literally means “on the sea”. A city whose rise and fortune is built on its proximity to water, with a system of navigable waterways that connects the seaport to the major cities of the region, strategically located at the mouth of the mighty Yangtze River, a natural corridor providing easy access to the people and markets of China’s vast interior. Tranquil. Limpid. Raging. Wild.  Water, that protean and constantly changing medium, has been one of the key determinants of Chinese civilization. Some historians say taming the waters lay the foundation for Chinese civilization itself. Throughout history, the emperors engaged in massive engineering works to control the devastating and regular flooding of China’s two great rivers, the Yellow River in the North, and the Yangtze River in the South. Works on a scale that no other nation could have contemplated. Too much water, or too little of it, has led people to rise up, overthrow their rulers and descend society into chaos. Thus, the stability of society depended on controlling the waters. In this way, water management became a moral issue; the person who could engineer and control the environment gained legitimacy and, therefore, the right to rule. This long-standing tradition continues today, with the construction of awe-inspiring feats of engineering, such as the Three Gorges Dam, or more recently the high-speed rail network, the largest of its kind in the world.  Returning to the fishermen of Shanghai, who are at the origin of this brief foray into the significance and control of water, and whose paths the photographer has followed for some time now. We see them in the most unexpected places, finding personal space against the odds, quietly waiting for their line to tighten. In pursuit of one of the oldest and (some say) ultimate hobby of men: fishing.