Mask and Mirror

As Claude Lévi-Strauss once claimed, “a mask denies as much as it affirms.” Masks have a strange ability to make that which is invisible (desires relating to being) visible, refuting the evidence. Similarly, mirrors play with reality, reversing it without altering its appearance. The playful aspect of masks and mirrors makes them revealing elements that allow us to explore people’s identities. Masks reveal by means of concealment, while a mirror’s silvered glass hides the secrets of apparent reality.

The exhibition Mask and Mirror was a masquerade based on the work of ten contemporary artists who photograph bodies as a means of exploring cultural, sexual, social or racial identities.

The participating artists were Sophie Calle, Nuria Canal, Sinje Dillenkofer, Friedl Kubelka, Shirin Neshat, Orlan, Sandra Semchuk, Cindy Sherman, Annie Sprinkle and Christine Webster.