Exhibition unmasks the many faces of culture
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Masks are universal as they can be found in almost every culture on the planet. They also play a significant role in the artistic, ritualistic or social aspects of life.
The masks of 22 countries and some 100 related items, including books, references, photos and stamps, are on display at the Sonobudoyo Museum Unit II of Dalem Cadrakiranan, adjacent to the Yogyakarta Kraton (Palace) through Nov. 5.
Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X officially opened the exhibition on Oct. 27. Among the guests of honor were Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia Luc Darras and envoys from the participating countries.
"It's an honor for both the government and society that the International Mask Conference and Exhibition is being held here in Yogyakarta. This is not just an arts event, but also a forum for creating friendships and brotherhood among countries," the sultan said in his opening speech.
The exhibition's project officer Rudi Corens said, "Through the exhibition, we want to show there is indeed a strong relationship between masks and human civilization."
Among the participating countries are the Philippines, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Brazil and Greece, as well as domestic participants, including Yogyakarta Kraton, Surakarta Kraton, Radya Pustaka Museum (Surakarta), Nyoman Gunarsa Museum (Bali), Sri Baduga Museum (Bandung), Ardiyanto Gallery (Yogyakarta), Sonobudoyo Museum and private collectors at home and abroad.
The exhibition is divided into eight different sections.
The "masks and their origin in the world" section relates the history of masks, starting from face painting, tattooing, to mask creation.
The "masks and traditional functions" section displays various kinds of masks in the world. The most interesting in the section is a wooden mask as much as 250 years old, known as a doyok. The mask was found in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. Others include replicas of masks from the prehistoric era.
The "masks and medicine" section shows the rituals in using masks to heal particular diseases, both in the traditional world and the modern era. Among the masks exhibited includes a wooden mask from Sri Lanka, known as a mahasona, which is still used for healing purposes. Other masks on display show illustrations of harelip and leprosy.
The "masks and religions" section will enable visitors to see how masks were strongly related to religions and beliefs, even in their early development. This section also shows how people put masks on the faces of the dead in ancient times.
The "masks and drama" section shows how masks have been used to identify the characters in plays. In some cultures, a drama cannot be performed at all without a mask. Ramakien, the Thai version of Ramayana, or Javanese Wayang Topeng are such examples.
The other three themes are "masks and social activities", "masks and children" and "masks and folk arts, entertainment and decoration".
During the exhibition, the organizers have also put on a number of related programs, including masked dance performances, a discussion and launch of a book about masks and a mask market, involving 12 mask carvers from Yogyakarta and its surroundings.
"The basic idea in setting up the mask market is not just to demonstrate the art of making them but also the use of both natural and artificial materials," Rudi said, adding that the market would hopefully help improve local carvers' creativity and inventive spirit.
Masked dance performances are scheduled for certain nights during the exhibition. Among the performers are noted dancer Didik Nini Thowok of Yogyakarta, well-known for the use of masks in most of his dances, Italian Pino Confessa, Venetian Carmencita Palermo and other Venetian actors.
The discussion and book launch will take place on Nov. 4. The book contains articles written by 12 domestic and foreign writers, including Rudi and Rector of the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Yogyakarta I. Made Bandem.