Masks as Alternative Realities and Reflections of Self
Learn about ASEAN countries' masks through a collaborative exhibition of KF ASEAN Culture House and UNESCO ICHCAP, 'Alternative Identities: Masks of ASEAN and Korea'
Alternative Identities: Masks of ASEAN and Korea (2023)ICHCAP
Jointly held by KF ASEAN Culture House and UNESCO ICHCAP, the exhibition Alternative Identities: Masks of ASEAN and Korea introduces "other faces" created under the theme of “Mask”, the cultural heritage of humanity.
The masks of Korea and ASEAN, which encompass the accumulated aesthetic sense and techniques of handicrafts in each region, can be said to reflect aesthetic traditions in different epochs of each country.
This story leads you to the 3rd and 4th sections of the exhibition. Explore section 1 here and section 2 here.
Section 3. Alternative Realities
Tuong (Hat Boi) is a traditional Vietnamese classical drama that encourages Vietnamese people to consider their past and present lives. Tuong, a kind of mask drama that combines music and dance, and features distinctive makeup and costumes.
Types of Vietnam's Hát bội (Hat Boi) characters
Dong Trac (2021) by Cultura FishICHCAP
Tuong (Hat Boi) dramatizes Vietnamese folk tales or fables, and can also be based on scripts created with historical, political, social, and cultural settings.
Chung Vo Diem (2021) by Cultura FishICHCAP
It portrays figures from various walks of life including kings, queens, generals, maids, ladies, and students. It also aesthetically depicts heroic characters and lessons on human deeds such as sacrifice for the greater cause.
Phan Diem (2021) by Cultura FishICHCAP
The colors and patterns used on the faces have symbolic meanings and representations: a white face symbolizes gentleness and quietness; red stands for wisdom, courage, and staunchness; a striped face signifies an ugly person with a hot temper.
Section 4. Reflections of Self
Masks are used by people to hide while acting like others and are also used to express something inside the wearer, perhaps a personality that they do not usually reveal or something related to spirituality and faith.
Mask and Devotion: The Moryonan of Mogpog by Renato S. RastrolloICHCAP
Moryonan Lenten Devotion
The Moryonan is a Lenten tradition held annually during Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines.
Catholics take part in Moryonan which commemorates the Passion of Christ. They pray for the happiness and prosperity of their families and beg God for mercy.
Moryon Mask and Costume (2023) by Salvador Liwanagan, Gilbert Monsanto, and Elenita Maderazo ProtetaICHCAP
One of the most eye-catching points of the Moryonan is the mask that depicts the Roman soldiers who appear in the Bible. During the Moryonan, people walk around the streets wearing this mask and soldier’s attire.
Mask makers begin creating masks by accepting pre-orders up to four months in advance of the festival. The delicate process of sculpting wood to capture intricate details demands significant skill and artistry from the artisans.
MassKara Festival by Ed EnriquezICHCAP
MassKara Festival
MassKara is a relatively modern festival, created to revitalize the local communities of Bacolod City that had been experiencing economic recession affected by the sugar crisis in the 1970s.
MassKara (Philippines) by Ed EnriquezICHCAP
In the city of Bacolod, artist Ely Santiago introduced the "MassKara Festival," a captivating event where the entire community dons "smiling masks" and partakes in a joyous march.
MassKara for Male (2023) by Joenel Buenaventura, Zoraida Sibonga, and Richard LopezICHCAP
The highlight is a parade in which people take to the streets of Bacolod, festively dancing in groups wearing a smiling mask.
Alternative Identities: Masks of ASEAN and Korea_25 (0223)ICHCAP
Lim Soo Ngee, A Wooden Sculpture Wearing the Masks
Lim Soo Ngee, a Singaporean sculptor, captures the “alternative identities” of contemporary people through wooden sculptures that poetically portray various figures.
The artist recreates contemporary people who are subordinated to the flow of time in a state of torpor by putting on masks during COVID-19 or notes the fact that many people wear different “masks” whenever they face various situations in their lives.
Continue to explore the exhibition here to learn about Talchum, the Korean mask drama inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.
2023 Collaborative Exhibition
Alternative Identities: Masks of ASEAN and Korea (April 26, 2023 - July 23, 2023)
Organized by: Korea Foundation ASEAN Culture House; UNESCO ICHCAP
Sponsored by: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Cultural Heritage Administration; International Mask Arts & Culture Organization
Cooperation: Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia; Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia; Center for Research and Promotion of Cultural Heritage in Viet Nam; Thammasat University in Thailand
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