The dance of the masks - XVII (The end)

            Ritual masks can be observed in every part of the world and can be considered as a global phenomenon, but it is in Africa where the widest symbolic variety can be found (Homberger 2015). 
Their language is quite complex. It uses the faces, usually carved in wood, but also the custom, the body of the dancer and the entire choreography and screenplay of the exhibition. 
The masks implement a mediation with the world of the unseen and of the deads, which are essential for the life and the welfare of the whole community. Like the earlier phases of the greek theater, they not only represent, but make actual the entities to which they relate.They enliven sacrifices, burials, initiations, propitiatory and thanksgiving festivals. 
Colonialism has often led to the disappearance of many symbols. But where the masks are still in use, they conserve at least part of their traditional functions, such as in the Dogon community, on the cliff of Bandiagara (Mali), to which this project is referred. 
Through multiple exposures carried out in 2015, these images do not tell about a documentary but an introspective work, that aims to open an approach to an “other” reality, where visible and invisible dance together magically.

La danza delle maschere

Le maschere rituali si trovano in ogni parte del mondo e possono essere considerate un fenomeno globale, ma è in Africa dove se ne riscontra la più ampia varietà simbolica (Homberger 2015).
Il loro linguaggio è alquanto complesso; si esprime col volto, in genere intagliato in legno, ma anche col costume, col corpo del danzatore e con l’intera coreografia e sceneggiatura dell’esibizione.
Le maschere attuano una mediazione col mondo dell’invisibile e dei defunti, che sono essenziali per il benessere della comunità. Al pari delle fasi più antiche del teatro greco, esse non solo rappresentano, ma rendono effettivamente presente l'entità cui si riferiscono. Sono utilizzate nei sacrifici, nelle sepolture, nelle iniziazioni, nelle feste propiziatorie e di ringraziamento.
Il colonialismo ha spesso determinato la scomparsa di molte simbologie. Ma dove le maschere sono ancora in uso, mantengono almeno parte delle loro funzioni tradizionali, come presso la comunità Dogon, sulla falesia di Bandiagara (Mali), cui si riferisce questo progetto.
Attraverso esposizioni multiple, le immagini danno conto non di un lavoro documentaristico bensì introspettivo, di apertura e avvicinamento ad una realtà “altra”, dove visibile e invisibile danzano insieme magicamente.


   

Taken on: February 6, 2015

Tags:

Mali

Dogon

masks

ritual

spirit « less

Sets appears in: • The masks of the invisible

Camera: Canon EOS 6D, f/3.2, 1/2000 sec, 70mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 6D
Lens:	EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Aperture:	f/3.2
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/2000)
Focal Length:	70mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Shutter speed priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC (Macintosh)
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