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Real Image / Shixiang

Real Image: the 2019–2020 P4 collaboration

Real Image was initiated by Zhang Shaohua and He Fa at P4 in June 2019. This page preserves their 2019–2020 collaboration through photography, one-to-one encounters and participants’ accounts.

Real Image project material from P4 Theater
Real Image historical project material: photography, theatre and encounter.
How did the project begin?

The 2020 project introduction records Zhang Shaohua and He Fa as the initiators of Real Image in June 2019.

How was the encounter organised?

Historical records describe photography, conversation, looking and action within a one-to-one encounter.

How did the photographs return?

The articles and participants’ accounts preserve photographs, experiences and the process of looking again.

Historical scope and the later separation

The 11 December 2020 introduction (Chinese) records the project’s joint initiation and method.

One-to-onePhotography theatre2019–2020 collaborationProject documents

This page preserves P4’s 2019–2020 collaboration in Real Image. In his 18 July 2022 account, He Fa states that the Real Image project remained with Zhang Shaohua after he left the Diaosutai venue. This historical record does not claim that P4 currently operates Real Image or offer current bookings.

Read the 2022 accountOriginal Chinese record of the separation

Earlier materials and complete editions

Current projects and newly added research remain above. The earlier editions and passages below keep their original documents, images and reading links available alongside them.

Earlier material · 2026-10-26

The following passages retain the wording of the earlier record. The current text and revised credits remain above. Earlier participation invitations describe that historical version; consult current project records for present arrangements.

Not a photo service — a photography theatre encounter

Real Image places the camera inside a live situation. You do not need acting experience or a better version of yourself. You enter a one-to-one live encounter in which being seen becomes part of the work.

Real Image: photography, theatre, and seeing oneself again.

No acting experience, no script, no prepared persona. Bring yourself into the encounter.

Photography, conversation, looking, action, and pause are composed into a one-to-one relation.

The photograph is not only a souvenir. It becomes a trace of the relation and a way to carry the encounter back into life.

Before you book

One-to-onePhotography theatreNo acting requiredPersonal gift / self-record / deep experience

If you worry about awkwardness, cameras, or not knowing how to perform, that is exactly the material Real Image works with. When you contact P4, include your city, time window, language preference, and whether your images may be used publicly.

Open the booking pageAlso for collaboration, press, and research enquiries

P4 TheaterTheatre · moving image · collective practice

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