When we think of masks, we think of carnival, African tribal rites or death masks, theatre and fashion, but also role-playing, wrapping and protection. Masks are among the oldest and most controversial objects in human cultural history. Contemporary artists are not only interested in the mask as an object, but also in its social, cultural and political significance and this book traces the mask in contemporary art.
Atelier Pol designed the exhibition catalogue in close collaboration with the Aargauer Kunsthaus. With rich visual material and short texts on the exhibited works, the volume shows the artists’ respective approaches to the broad thematic field of the mask. Two introductory essays additionally shed light on the topicality of the mask and its prehistory in art.
Headlines use Founders Grotesk, all other text is set in Inter and Messina Serif.