Mask: In Present-Day Art

Masks disguise us, keeping those around us from seeing who we really are. In a theatrical production, as part of Carnival, or during African tribal rites, they allow us to become someone or something other than our everyday selves. They may offer protection, concealing our identity. They may even serve as a memento, as in death masks, or the plaster casts that were sometimes taken of a famous person’s face following death. Given their deep and rich symbolism, it’s no surprise that masks represent some of the most ancient and most controversial objects in cultural history. Published to accompany an exhibition at Aargauer Kunsthaus in Switzerland, explores the appearances of masks in contemporary art. Artists have always been attracted to masks and their symbolism. Today’s artists look beyond the mere object to the interwoven social, cultural, and political meanings. Richly illustrated with works by an international group of artists, including Silvia Bächli and Eric Hattan, Sabian Baumann, Nathalie Bissig, Olaf Breuning, Hélène Delprat, Cecilia Edefalk, Aneta Grzeszykowska, Christoph Hefti, Laura Lima, Christian Marclay, Mélodie Mousset, Elodie Pong, Ugo Rondinone, Markus Schinwald, Cindy Sherman, Francisco Sierra, Simon Starling, Rosemarie Trockel, Gillian Wearing and Sislej Xhafa, the book also includes concise texts exploring the manifold approaches to the topic of masks. Two introductory essays look at the history of masks in art.