Exhibition unmasks the many faces of culture

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.