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Masks are one of the human cult objects with the longest, richest and at the same time most controversial history. In the interplay between showing and veiling, masks are highly topical in contemporary society and culture as well. The international group show MASK. In PresentDay Art at Aargauer Kunsthaus explores the issue in 160 current works of art. 

When thinking of masks, we think of Carnival, African tribal rituals or death masks, theatre, film and fashion – of role playing, changing identities, veiling and protection. Masks are one of the human cult objects with the longest, richest and at the same time most controversial history. They also have an extensive tradition in the fine arts. But how is the subject of the mask treated in contemporary art? The international group show MASK. In Present-Day Art explores this issue in depth. 

MASK shows that contemporary artists are interested in the mask not only as an object but also very much in its social, cultural, political and symbolic implications. In the interplay between showing and veiling and in a society in which adroit self-presentation is seen as a measure of personal success, the mask today is once again a subject of high topicality. 

Masks, physical and symbolic masks, are omnipresent – as much in the real as in the virtual world. We encounter forms of masquerading as a means of subverted socially standardised gender and role assignments. But we also encounter them in social media where, with just a few mouse clicks, the original image is transformed in a matter of seconds. We put on masks to slip into a role; they allow us to change into a new self. In the media, masks sometimes appear as a sombre symbol of the turbulent global situation. We see masked protestors, Occupy Wallstreet activists with typical Guy Fawkes masks, hooded terrorists and soldiers in protective masks. 

Thirty-six artists from twelve countries turn to a fascinating topic in MASK and subject both the concept and the object to an analysis and revaluation from a present-day perspective. On view are some 160 works, most of them created in the past ten years in a variety of media, including photography, painting, installation, sculpture and video.