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MAGIC MASKS
 17th June – 23rd October 2005 Dansmuseet has one of the foremost collections in the world of complete African masks - that is with full costume – which now will be on display for the first time in its colourful and imaginative entirety. Since the masks from Africa were “discovered” by European art connoisseurs almost a hundred years ago and they came to influence modern art, especially in the form of cubism, the masks have come to be regarded and exhibited mostly as separate works of art with an aesthetic value of its own. But without the costume, the mask is reduced to almost nothing but a futile wooden grimace. The head mask is only one part of a larger entirety, inseparable from a costume of textile or raffia surrounded by dance and music and an integral part of a ceremony or a ritual. In the exhibition Magic Masks we want to try to present the masks in their proper context and show the magic that can emerge when seen as complete manifestations. The world of the African mask is versatile and complex. When danced, the mask can tell about supernatural events, which can explain the everyday existence, or masks can be danced as a prayer for harvest or fertility. The presence of masks can mark important steps in life. Different creatures, forces and characters take the form of masks for a shorter time. Masks and the use of masks are objects of a content change. Some of the masks displayed in the exhibition, might not be in use any more in Africa. But most of them are. The mask dance is probably Africa’s most resistant form of art and is constantly developed to meet new needs. Admission 40 SEK
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