THE JOURNEY OF THE MASKS / MASKERNAS RESA by Torbjorn Alstrom

Torbjorn Alstrom on the Behance Network

2010-12-01T22:31:00.000+01:00

MASKS ARE BACK !

2010-08-11T22:05:00.002+02:00

The masks are now back from the great journey around in USA... I am so grateful to all of you that has been part of this journey and all the great thoughts, films and photos you have shared with us here on the blog. Thank you !!!!!

Katarina Erikssons films

2010-08-06T19:16:00.003+02:00

Friday, June 25, 2010
A couple of texts that came out of a day with the masks and my friend Rowena Richie at the parking lot of Marin Headland Hostel
Keeping Peace in Place

On a bench, watching the birds. Throwing things at them - not food. Hearing the sounds, annoyed.
Keep my peace in peace! I'm just sitting here, tending to the things; the inner orchestra, the birds, the wind. It's a lot to keep track of, you know. Don't come here and add, godammit. This is my work - to feel the feathers and hear the birds. To reflect the sun onto my toes so that they stay warm and safe. Conducting the inner orchestra with full attention and much feeling. Then rest and reflect the sun.
Somebody there to disturb the order. I throw my things at them to show where my space is. Where my work happens. The seated work. The waiting and listening. It is all important for keeping things in order, and peace in place.

Katarina Eriksson, June 17, 2010

CARDBOARD

The cardboard house is where I live and find things to use or discard. The outside world is hard to understand. That stinky house is where I belong. So many years has passed since anybody came to visit, and I can't really remember anymore where I was, or who I was, before this.
Squirrels like the same kind of stuff as I, so I have to watch out and not be too friendly.
Today is a good day. I found a butter pack and some pine cones. The air is warm and the cars stay still.

Katarina Eriksson, June 17, 2010

2010-07-26T03:52:00.001+02:00

Meeting the public at the festival.

2010-07-26T03:30:00.000+02:00

Mask exchange

2010-07-26T03:21:00.005+02:00

Ingrid & I met at Grand Central Station, where I take the masks on the next chapter of their journey.

They are coming to join us in an International theatre festival. Where the actors will get to play with the masks to help them in their character development & then the masks come during intermission to meet the audience.

The festival runs 21-29 July in Queens NYC.

http://www.theinternationalists.org/odyssey.html

Come & meet the masks if you are in NYC, they are a joy to meet & I am so looking forward to our New York adventures :)

Sama.

WHICH WAY HOME?

2010-07-24T00:12:00.003+02:00

Tonight the masks join our festival WHICH DIRECTION HOME? We are so excited to bring these two journeys together. The festival is inspired by Homer's Odyssey, 8 International directors explore the themes of the Odyssey in 8 wholey direrent perspectives: Come along & see the shows and meet the masks during instant theatre, where the masks will take the audience on a journey of their own :) http://www.theinternationalists.org/odyssey.html

2010-07-19T16:22:00.003+02:00

July 17 2010

Times Square - what a wonderful high tech super crowded blinking and noisy neon filled finale!

Thank you masks, thank you Torbjorn, thank you all who have joined me on this journey!!!!!!!!!!

I'm feeling very sad to have to part with the masks. We're very close.

"...vem kan skiljas fran vannen sin utan att falla tarar..."

We've filmed some amazing moments, meetings and stories while exploring New York City! The editing will take some time but eventually you will be able to see our film "Mask in the City". So stay tuned!! Coming soon!

And now...

the masks are moving on to new adventures!

Bon voyage, dear friends. I will miss you!

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-19T16:13:00.002+02:00

We walked over to The Barrymore Theatre as they were letting out after the evening show. People were waiting at the stage door to get a glimpse of some of the Broadway stars. I was the star for others...who paid me $2.00 to have their picture taken with me!

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-19T16:10:00.001+02:00

The beat of Times Square makes me want to dance and celebrate this last evening of my journey!

2010-07-19T16:06:00.000+02:00

Watching myself appear on a giant neon sign.

2010-07-19T15:48:00.003+02:00

July 17 2010, Times Square

The pulse of the city! The heart of the city!

Neon lights, blinking signs, Broadway shows, sales people, tourists, New Yorkers, entertainers - all in a big mix. The energy is both contagious and draining.

" New York New York big city of dreams and everything in New York ain't always what it seems..." as Grandmaster Flash said.

Wendy Davidson and I managed to get our pictures up on a giant neon billboard smack in the center of Times Square!

2010-07-19T15:33:00.003+02:00

We walked up 5th Ave to the Flat Iron building on 23rd St. Spent a few moments with the Horizon Man sculpture (he can be seen on roof tops all over the city) before heading into Madison Park. A little girl started crying from fear of us so we decided to take the bus cross town. It was time for November Holly to leave us.

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-19T15:32:00.000+02:00

2010-07-19T15:27:00.001+02:00

2010-07-19T15:24:00.000+02:00

2010-07-19T15:18:00.001+02:00

November Holly and Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz.

Photos by Wendy Davidson.

2010-07-19T15:11:00.003+02:00

It was as if the mask had been waiting for November Holly! She joined me for a dance on a fire escape on East 17th Street.

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-19T15:09:00.002+02:00

At the Green Market, Union Square

2010-07-19T15:04:00.001+02:00

Photo by November Holly

2010-07-19T14:24:00.002+02:00

My friend November Holly joined us and shot these moments!

2010-07-19T08:13:00.000+02:00

Still Union Square Park

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-19T08:09:00.001+02:00

Sculptures in Union Square Park.

2010-07-19T07:56:00.003+02:00

July 17 2010

Union Square Park.

I posted an ad on Craigslist saying "Masks want to meet other masks! Come to our improvised mask gathering in Union Square Park and be part of our short film!"

One lady showed up as her interpretation of a middle eastern belly dancer.

A sweet girl and her friendly dad were sharing a dog mask. We waited around for quite a while but to my disappointment no more masks showed up. Wendy Davidson and I set out to explore the sculptures in the Park...

2010-07-19T07:01:00.002+02:00

July 11 2010

A day in Harlem.

We take the train up to 125th Street and walk up to Sylvia's, the famous soul food place on Lenox Ave and 127th St.

A boy was having lunch with his family. His mom thought he'd be scared...when he turned around and saw me he giggled with excitement and offered me some of his french fries.

On to The Apollo Theatre. I got on a tourist bus and got a lot of smiles. My own "Showtime at the Apollo!"

At the African market I saw beautiful African masks and approached them to say hello. The salesman was very angry and started screaming at Cecile behind the camera. "No photos! No filming!"

I met two ladies in large hats leaving church. Beautiful flowery hats and lace dresses!

I feel very plain in comparison.

We head towards Spanish Harlem. On our way we explore a subway over pass, a tunnel and meet a very fat girl on a pink barbie tractor! We cross 110th Street and walk down to 103rd St. We end the day at a Mexican restaurant - full of impressions!

It's interesting how people you least expect to be are completely open minded and love me while people I thought would be intrigued by the mask are completely indifferent or even annoyed with me!

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-17T07:34:00.002+02:00

We stop at the Korean War Monument of the Universal Soldier. It speaks to us about past pain and suffering.

We see the men in the sinking lifeboat. Where are they from? Who did they leave behind? What did they dream of?

The sunset is grand. We are small.

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-17T07:20:00.002+02:00

In a corner of Battery Park we find New York Classical Theatre, whom I worked with a few years ago, busy rehearsing an outdoor Shakespeare production. We watch for a while but the art deco Eagle Statue is pulling us in.

I find myself singing...

"They came flying from far away, now I'm under their spell

I love hearing the stories that they tell

They've seen places beyond my land and they've found new horizons

They speak strangely but I understand

And I dream I'm an eagle

And I dream I can spread my wings

Flying high, high, I'm a bird in the sky

I'm an eagle that rides on the breeze

High, high, what a feeling to fly

Over mountains and forests and seas

And to go anywhere that I please"

...an old Abba song.

2010-07-17T07:13:00.003+02:00

I need to catch my breath outside Castle Clinton.

On a bench overlooking the water and the Statue of Liberty some guys from Spain are resting. I'm suddenly one of the boys and hang out for a while.

2010-07-17T06:42:00.002+02:00

Bowling Green, the oldest public park in NYC.

A silent moment by the Sphere, almost destroyed in the September 11 attacks, and the eternal flame. Sept 11 suddenly feels very close. Memories of walking around the streets of down town Manhattan that day flash before me. The giant cloud of smoke. The smell of burnt matter in the air. People covered in debris, white from top to toe, running to escape the havoc. The fear of the unknown. Will there be another hit? Where? When? What is really going on? Someone shouting "Where is my mom?" "Is my son alive?" "Is my husband alive?" "Will we all die?" All those fears that people live with every day somewhere in the world...

2010-07-15T07:03:00.003+02:00

On the steps of Federal Hall on Wall Street we say hello to George Washington, the father of the nation. His serious posture and expression make me sense the weight on his shoulders. Opposite the Stock Exchange a French tourist plays Marcel Marceau with me. We both laugh.

The Trinity Church is closed so we take a short rest at the subway entrance to see what might happen next...

2010-07-15T06:42:00.004+02:00

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz and Wendy Davidson at South Street Seaport.

2010-07-15T06:33:00.002+02:00

Outside the national Museum of the American Indian I set sail in a boat made of discarded US Postal Service bins. The expression "going postal" suddenly makes sense.

The bins turn into a canoe and I'm going down river. I forget time and place.

2010-07-15T06:25:00.001+02:00

July 10 2010

The Financial District, Manhattan

The Charging Bull, the symbol of prosperity and financial optimism. I wonder if it works...to tuch it for good luck? No one seems to take notice of me. They are all too mesmerized by the bull. I feel lonely.

2010-07-13T05:41:00.003+02:00

July 4 2010,

Independence Day

Central Park - the lungs of the city! Trees breathing, turtles swimming in the pond, squirrels skipping from branch to branch, people rowing small boats...an old Kinks song comes to mind...

"The tax man's taken all my dough

And left me in my stately home

Lazing on a sunny afternoon"

"And I can't sail my yacht

He's taken everything I've got

All I've got is this sunny afternoon"

All around The Delacorte Theatre and The Swedish Cottage Shakespeare's words are echoing...

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages."

...but who is humming that Sondheim tune, "Sunday in the park with George"?

"My name is Fiona. I'm one with the trees and the soil... I like these people. I like to make them laugh. They seem to need it. They seem lonely in their crowds. They seem to cluster together in search of something, desperately trying to belong. To what, I wonder? I try to understand them as I try to understand my own reaction to them, to their faces, to their masks. I saw behind a young girls mask today! her eyes glittering and sparkling, almost bursting with withheld energy. A hesitant crooked smile of recognition. A soulful moment!"

The Angel of the Waters Fountain at Bethesda Terrace.

The angel is watching over us - quiet people, loud people, lost people, people who have been found...one man's King of the World, a legend in his own mind. He hardly notices me.

I hear music! I hear beautiful strings and pounding drums! I can't help myself. I can't stand still. I have to dance!!!

As the dark falls upon us like a cloak of wet velvet fireworks celebrate Independence Day. We're watching from a rooftop in the West Village. It's hot. Crowds are cheering all over the city. Are we really independent? Any of us? Aren't we totally dependent on each other, all of us? People, nations and all creatures of the universe closely connected, all one. Not independent.

I celebrate that we are all dependent on one another as fireworks light up the evening sky in the city of dreams!

2010-07-13T05:37:00.000+02:00

2010-07-13T05:33:00.001+02:00

Central Park

2010-07-13T05:15:00.002+02:00

Are you aliens?

2010-07-13T05:12:00.002+02:00

Brooklyn, New York

2010-07-12T16:55:00.000+02:00

2010-07-12T16:17:00.003+02:00

Still July 3 2010

Midtown, Manhattan

We've had a beautiful sunny morning! Wandering around Bryant Park. A wonderful French moment on the merry go round accompanied by the voice of Edith Piaf. A magical ride!

We visited the lions outside the New York Library and Atlas holding the globe on 51st St and 5th Ave. The world is in our hands!

Columbus Circle. The old and the new. Sculptures, drumming and dreaming.

We continued to Little Italy and Chinatown. Holding on to old memories while creating new ones. Making new friends. Watching frogs in a bucket with a young Chinese boy!

Then on to the Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, where the entrance of Prospect Park meets the Brooklyn Library. It was an extremely hot day.

Are we scary?!? A young woman thought so!

The Rhodin-sculptures at Brooklyn Museum called to us. Their agony brought me to tears. The children playing in the fountain outside washed them away. A man following us asked "Where do you come from?" "Are you aliens?" He kept saying "I'm not afraid of you! You don't scare me!" He looked worried. I think I scared him. I shook his hand. His eyes lit up.

Sunset at Fulton Landing, Brooklyn. Felt a little lost. Tired. The city gives and takes...

Looking out over the water, the skyline of lower Manhattan, the silhouette of Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty in the far distance - the entry point for so many immigrants once. Hopeful hearts beating with dreams of change and new beginnings. A new life. A better life. An island of hope.

Feeling the wind in my face. The same wind that has touched so many before me. A magical wind. The wind of hope - past and present!

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

At Columbus Circle

Wendy Davidson at Fulton Landing

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-12T16:15:00.000+02:00

2010-07-12T14:48:00.007+02:00

July 3 2010

Exploring New York City with a crew of friends. Cecile George behind the camera, Wendy Davidson behind one mask and Miguel Vega behind the wheel in the hustle and bustle of the city.

So many meetings! Homeless, busy New Yorkers, children and tourists. Quiet moments. Playful moments.

In awe of the Empire State building. At Grand Central Station the travelers ignored us. A guard reproached us - you are not allowed to play on the escalators! French tourists took my picture...

The Empire State Building

2010-07-12T08:17:00.002+02:00

Monica Milocco och Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-12T08:13:00.002+02:00

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

2010-07-12T08:09:00.001+02:00

Monica Milocco

2010-07-12T08:04:00.000+02:00

2010-07-12T07:44:00.003+02:00

July 2 2010

The Elevated Acre, 55 Water Street - a park nestled in between the high rises down town Manhattan...with a view of Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, South Street Seaport and Brooklyn Bridge.
An acre - the amount of land that can be plowed in one day with oxen...

Exploring the masks with my good friend Monica Milocco, a dancer from Gothenburg, Sweden...

Ancient. Rustic. Composed yet playful. Tentative. The two ladies wanted to move with childlike curiosity.

A haiku moment...

above ground below sky

elevated acre

land and water meeting us

house piercing sunny sky

hear earth shaking

eyes and glass glisten and glare

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

New York City!

2010-07-12T07:40:00.002+02:00

June 29 2010

Received the masks! Excitement!

Rushed inside with the small metal box...the handle burning my hand! The masks were beckoning me...open the box, open the box! Let us out! We've got stories to tell! There are things to see, places to be, faces to meet!!!

Ingrid Kullberg-Bendz

New York

2010-07-11T08:33:00.002+02:00

The masks have now landed in the big apple - New York ! New York containing so much and creating so many great meetings - is there a better place for these masks ? They are now visting Ingrid Kullberg Bendz. Just wait and see what might come out of it ! torbjorn

A couple of texts that came out of a day with the masks and my friend Rowena Richie at the parking lot of Marin Headland Hostel

2010-06-25T02:13:00.003+02:00

Keeping Peace in Place

On a bench, watching the birds. Throwing things at them - not food. Hearing the sounds, annoyed.

Keep my peace in peace! I'm just sitting here, tending to the things; the inner orchestra, the birds, the wind. It's a lot to keep track of, you know. Don't come here and add, godammit. This is my work - to feel the feathers and hear the birds. To reflect the sun onto my toes so that they stay warm and safe. Conducting the inner orchestra with full attention and much feeling. Then rest and reflect the sun.

Somebody there to disturb the order. I throw my things at them to show where my space is. Where my work happens. The seated work. The waiting and listening. It is all important for keeping things in order, and peace in place.

Katarina Eriksson, June 17, 2010

CARDBOARD

The cardboard house is where I live and find things to use or discard. The outside world is hard to understand. That stinky house is where I belong. So many years has passed since anybody came to visit, and I can't really remember anymore where I was, or who I was, before this.

Squirrels like the same kind of stuff as I, so I have to watch out and not be too friendly.

Today is a good day. I found a butter pack and some pine cones. The air is warm and the cars stay still.

Katarina Eriksson, June 17, 2010

Thor's Farewell

2010-05-16T20:07:00.007+02:00

The Journey Continues

The masks are now in the mail, on their way back to California. They are going to become intimately acquainted with the USPS by the end of this journey! I believe they have a few more stops back and forth from East Coast to West before the head back to Scandanavia.

I've said it before, I'll say it again, this has been a fantastic journey for myself and my students. Many members of the class are already back at home, final exams completed, settling into summer vacations and internships. Some are still here, just finishing up their own Commencement ceremony as I type!

We had planned a small commencement of sorts for the masks before sending them off to their next stop. Wednesday evening, sunset at Lake Matoaka. According to Zach, the Lake Matoaka amphitheatre is the best place on campus to catch the sunset. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side.

After a beautiful, if muggy, Williamsburg afternoon, the skies began to darken and a massive thunderstorm quickly assaulted the campus. It was quite intense - lots of lightening and wind and, of course, plenty of thunder. I worried that we would not be able to say our last farewell to the masks as planned. Torbjorn, via IM, said not to worry, it was just Thor wanting to attend the party.

I made it down to the amphitheatre in time for the sunset. The rain had stopped and the the air was cool and crisp after the rain. There were still plenty of clouds in the sky, but at least it wasn't raining. Unfortunately, the students who were still on campus were thwarted by the storm and couldn't come. So, I had a final turn in the small mask, and let her take a few pictures for our online album.

Sunset through the clouds

Across the Lake

Lady of the Lake

One Last Look

Thanks again, Torbjorn and all the other mask players, for a fabulous exchange! I am looking forward to following the masks on their continued journey across the States and onward to the next destination!

Vivian

THANKS ALL !!!!

2010-05-13T09:20:00.000+02:00

Oh..great experiences - I would love to have the names on you who are writing here, and are on the photos with the masks. It's nice for future when these comments and photos might be part of an exhibition. Hope you all continue to write here or making comments. There is also the facebook group - Tales from the mask. Thank you all ! / Torbjorn

Seeing the world through a new set of Eyes

2010-05-13T04:00:00.002+02:00

I had a chance to experience the Mercury Expo Poster Presentations in the female mask, an international witness to the havoc wreaked on our environment by mercury. I arrived after everything had been set up and the participants had just arrived. Admittedly, I felt a little out of place among the researchers with their very sophisticated scientific posters. What was this place and what do all these signs mean? So, I wondered in and out among the posters, taking note carefully of each, lingering next to those stories which effected me most.

Surprisingly, the mask elicited very little response from those around me. It was almost as if I was wearing nothing at all. This was certainly not the reaction that I expected, but proved particularly enticing as a performer. Would these students and researchers speak to me? Would they answer the questions that I couldn't ask? Tell me the information that I needed although my mask rendered me mute?

Some stood silently by their posters as I passed, trying to read between the scientific jargon but fortunately, many spoke. They explained the plight of fish and fowl, exposed to mercury, as I stood by and listened. I felt particularly touched when one girl, obviously uncertain about my mask, stalwartly finished her presentation, and then, deliberately asked me if I had any questions. She was the first person to acknowledge me in the mask since I had arrived without my direct engagement with her. I appreciated her risk in addressing such an unconventional member of her audience.

The first steps to solving the world's problems are reaching out a friendly hand to an unfamiliar face, extended with an offering of knowledge and a willingness to listen.

Spa Treatment

2010-05-10T18:28:00.003+02:00

Masks post 'spa' treatment - big sigh of relief!

After having some incredible explorations with my students in these masks over the weekend of the Mercury Expo, we prepared to do some more in-depth scene work with these masks and those that the students had made. Upon opening the box in class that Tuesday, one student commented that he thought that the larger mask had a crack. I experienced a moment of terror unlike anything I had ever felt before. I imagined myself plunging into a special section of hell devoted to failed artists. Not only that, I felt that I had let down my class, Torbjorn, and everyone else who had participated in and followed the Journey of the Masks. I was dreading seeing the actual crack.

Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the crack was minor, but that it was in one of the most delicate parts of the larger mask. As I examined it further, I noticed that the wire mesh was also coming away from the wood. Since the masks had been in my possession the entire time and no one could remember a moment at which the mask might have cracked, we surmised that the extremely humid weather was possibly causing the wood to expand and contract, causing it to pull away from the mesh and leather attachment, and also to separate from itself.

I wrote to Torbjorn that night to explain the situation, and he was extremely calm in responding with an email that basically amounted to, "Relax, just fix it. This is a part of the journey." Right. The Masks' box does contain some materials for small repairs. I took a deep breath, went to the hardware store to purchase a few more small supplies and prepared to fix the masks.

It was a warm day, so I was able to work outside, which I love to do when working on my own masks. Breathing deeply, I applied the glue and carefully placed the clamps around the wood, cushioning the ends with some leather, to avoid marking the exterior of the mask. And let it set overnight.

The next day was just as beautiful, so I again chose to work outside. Carefully, I removed the clamps and the leather. The wood glue held. You can barely notice that a crack was even there. I proceeded to glue the wire mesh back to where it belonged as well. Then, I took a small bottle of linseed oil (which I had also purchased upon Torbjorn's suggestion), and gently massaged it into both of the masks.

This was my unexpected treat! The masks have been traveling for a long time, now, across several countries and two continents. They have been handled by many artists and appeared in just as many performances. They were in need of a little spa treatment. As I worked the oil into the masks, not only did some of the road-dust come off, but the oild brought out the natural variations of tone and color in the wood. I noticed the deep, red whorls immediately come to life in the small mask. And the large mask just seemed to glow. Not only that, became particularly aware of the way that the chin of the large mask came at a natural notch in the wood. Most of the notch is visible only from the inside of the mask, but on closer inspection you can see part of this organic flaw come through to the surface of the mask.

I was so glad to have had this opportunity to spend time closely examining these masks. I had noticed the details of the masks before: the wonderful third eye on the large mask that seems to disappear in performance, the wire mesh points that provide texture but are not a distraction when worn, the asymmetrical inlays that are the eyebrows, and the craftsmanship of the masks themselves were things I had noticed. But applying the oil to the masks, I was able to appreciate the material of the wood itself, its own beauty brought to life in the form of the mask.

Afterwards, I had an urge to wear the large mask. I had worn the smaller mask during our first opening ceremony. I wore that mask in the Andrews Gallery and enjoyed playing with a small audience in and around static sculpture (which, I think, became less static as we played). After the masks' spa treatment, it was just me in my apartment, but I put it on anyway and did a turn for myself and my cat. Even with such an intimate audience, I was surprised by what I noticed. After putting on themask, the cat immediately began purring intensely and brushing up against my legs. I don't know if I was channeling the cat's energy or if the cat was responding to the nature of the mask, but this turn in the mask was extremely responsive to touch. I wanted to touch everything in that mask. And suddenly, some of the photos from others' experiences in this mask (which work well for documentation, but rarely succeed in communicating the experience of wearing or witnessing a mask performance) made sense.

I'm glad that we discovered the crack in the mask. If not for that 'failure' (failure of wood, failure of glue, failure of me to notice at what precise point the wood began to weaken), I probably would not have taken the opportunity to clean the masks. And I might not have taken a turn in the large mask, which would have been a shame.

I am including the small bottle of linseed oil to send with the masks on the rest of the journey. The oil, as Torbjorn reminded me, keeps the wood supple, which they need as they travel to so many different climates. A little spa treatment doesn't hurt anybody!

Before

"Any adhesive is only as strong as the pressure you apply." -David Dudley

The journey in USA

2010-05-09T09:26:00.002+02:00

Well -- I wonder if the journey in USA could get a better start than with Vivian and her great students. It's so great to follow the blog and get all the thoughts and photos from your different trips and the exploring of the masks. I can't enough say how grateful I am to you all, and since I can't be part of it more than through this blog I wonder so who you all are and where your own journey will take you, if it happens the way you hope. Thanks again all of you ! / Torbjorn

Through the Sunken Gardens

2010-05-06T15:27:00.011+02:00

Studying with a William and Mary student in the Sunken Gardens

"You two are just wonderful!"

After the Mercury Expo, the masks travelled through the Sunken Gardens, towards the Mercurial Roadshow. They spent a long time in the Sunken Gardens, travelled through the Wren Building, and into Merchants Square where Art on the Square was happening! This was a great continuation of the question of context! Who was ready to see the masks and who wasn't?

The woman pictured above was one of the first people the masks encountered who was very invested in playing with them. "You two are just wonderful," "Beautiful," "I just love you," were some of the many words of praise and amazement coming from this woman. She was ready to see some moving art and was obviously open to the experience.

By the time the masks arrived at Art on the Square, they were well warmed up after exploring through the Sunken Gardens and in the Wren Building, so they were ready to play, as well! In the Sunken Gardens, they didn't encounter too many people, but they were exposed to a new environment with different stimuli. A party tent with plastic windows provided an interesting playing space for a while. After that, they met a few William and Mary students who, although putting on a pretense of studying, seemed ready for a distraction!

The Christopher Wren Building also provided an interesting space to play. The masks approached a tour group going through, giving them flowers and leaves they had collected on their way through the sunken gardens. The guide played along, introducing the masks as mimes, "apparently, we have mimes today..." "They are visiting from Sweden," was my response when given a quizzical look from a tourist. Most times, that seemed to explain it all!

Art on the Square was a much different experience. There were hundreds of people and the masks were ready to play! In addition to the woman in the first picture, the masks enjoyed playing hide and seek with several young children. "It's a mask!" cried one little boy. Over and over and over again. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing, he was so excited! They learned to soften up their play if they noticed smaller children getting nervous. As far as I could tell, no one cried. They stopped for a while to dance next to a booth selling wooden flutes. A small crowd gathered around. I think the pipe vendor was pleasantly surprised that people were actually responding to the live music in his booth! Many people muttered something about, "it must be an experiment." I explained the exchange to those who seemed interested, and they were intrigued and happy to be a part of an international performance exchange.

Context. These people were all out on a beautiful day. They were at Merchants Square to buy lovely things, eat local food, and be entertained. They were the masks' best audience by far!

Party tent in the Sunken Gardens

Mirror?

Looking Glass

Play.

William and Mary students looking for a distraction!

Mercury Expo 2010!

2010-05-04T18:25:00.005+02:00

Surry Coal Plant Panelists prepare to follow the Masks!

Part of our exploration with the Masks has been to put them into the environmental/political theatre in conjunction with William and Mary's International Mercury Expo 2010! This conference took place over the course of three days, during which there were panelists speaking about the dangers of mercury dental amalgams, coal mining, mercury in different ecosystems, and gold mining. Part of the goal of the conference was to emphasize the human element of mercury as a global pollutant. As a result, the conference showcased professionals responding to the problem of mercury in a variety of ways: Linda Wysong exhibited prints responding to coal plants in her region; Aileen Smith shared her famous photos of the devastating effects of mercury in Minamata, Japan (extreme mercury poisoning, as a result, is categorized as Minamata disease); Lisa Jo Epstein led workshops in Theatre of the Oppressed; the Virginia Theatre Machine developed a new educational play about mercury and misinformation; and, of course, there was plenty of time for networking!

The Swedish Masks functioned as silent witnesses to the global problem of mercury. Often, they appeared in conjunction with other theatrical events, leading Expo participants to the site of the next performance. They also mingled with Expo participants during a networking session.

It was interesting to observe people's reactions to the mask performance in different contexts. When the masks appeared at the theatre events, audience members seemed more able to interact with them. Perhaps this was because they were expecting something theatrical to happen, or they were relaxed at the end of the day. At the Friday evening performance of the Virginia Theatre Machine's A Mercurial Roadshow, Zach (in mask) intercepted people on their way out of Aileen Smith's exhibit and tried to direct them towards the next show. As he described, audience reaction varied. Some people were delighted to follow him and see the show. They would ask him questions and try to interact. People frequently responded to him as scary: "Oooh, Scary," they would exclaim. I thought this was interesting because, for the most part, Zach's behavior was not intended to be scary. As he described, he responded to his mask in a light way, using gestures I found to be welcoming, and not scary. But then, I like looking at masks.

A common response during this turn in the mask was, "Do you have mercury poisoning," or, "Are you a victim of mercury poisoning?" To which Zach would immediately respond with an improvised impression of a person with mercury poisoning. He would start shaking and flailing his limbs about him. After having seen Aileen Smith's photographs of victims of Minamata disease, I found this performance particularly disturbing. However, the people with whom Zach was playing found it hilarious! I thought, then, about the importance of context in how we construct meaning around any kind of abstract or silent performance. People see what they expect to see. If they are emerging from an exhibit about mercury poisoning and are immediately greeted by an unfamiliar masked character, perhaps that is the most logical explanation.

Networkers did not know how to respond to a mask in their midst. During the Saturday evening Networking session, Margaret played in her mask, wandering among the poster presentations and listening in on ornithologists, teachers, geologists, and other scientists talking about their work with mercury and exchanging business cards. If only I had thought to give her a card to pass around!!! Without cards, she mingled, but with an odd response. At first glance, it would appear as though the participants did not even see her in their midst. On closer inspection, I observed that many of the networkers were working very hard to NOT see her, or to not acknowledge that they saw her. Again, this was a different performance in a different context. Since these people were here to network with other members of their field, they chose to not acknowledge something unexpected in their midst.

The Masks' last turn at the Expo was after the panel presentation by the Surry Panel's 'Dendron Coal Fired Power Plant Debate.' During this discussion, researchers, scientists, teachers, and community members expressed their concern about the planned coal fired power plant in Dendron, in Surry County, VA. After this presentation, the masks enticed participants to follow them to the final Mercurial Roadshow. Some followed, but the masks were easily distracted on their journey, and finally found the show after their audience did!

After the Surry Panel

Searching for the Mercurial Roadshow

Looking for an audience in the Sunken Gardens

My Experiences with the Masks

2010-05-04T02:27:00.002+02:00

I got to explore with both the male and female masks, in two different areas and situations...

I wore the female mask when our class did some explorations with masks at the Lake Matoaka Amphitheater, a large outdoor amphitheater made half up of seats closer to the stage and grassy area. Lake Matoaka itself sits behind the stage.

As I wore the mask, I wasn't a female character but instead a young, powerful king. I couldn't let anyone know that I was insecure in my position or that I didn't really know what to do; I had to show that I was strong and in control. I went to the back of the amphitheater, up the stadium seating, where I was elevated higher than the rest of the amphitheater and could observe my kingdom. I was lonely but I didn't care. I was angry but I didn't care. My movement was gliding and I gestured with my arms in a horizontal sweeping motion. When our professor told us to find an object and move it, I found a small stick that was somehow going to help me, and I hid it where no one else would find it.

My exploration with the male mask ("Hans" as my friend Keegan calls him) happened outside of a small museum on campus. The occasion was a mercury awareness expo, and my job was to direct people who were leaving to turn around and go to a watch a show that was to be performed in a trailer that transforms into a stage called the Virginia Theater Machine. I spent about 15 minutes approaching people, trying to motion them in the opposite direction, away from the parking lot. Several people, after seeing the mask, chose to ignore me and keep walking. Most people acknowledged me, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone responded with a smile to the mask; not that the mask itself is scary, but turning to find a wooden face looking at you could be unsettling (I thought).

My mood was jovial, I led with my feet, and angled my torso a lot in my bodily communication with people. People enjoyed it when I mimicked their movements or joined in their conversations by agreeing or acting out what they were saying. The good mood I was in spread easily to those I was around. I would pretend to be a regular member of the crowd as long as I could, until someone looked at me and acknowledged me as something different. That's when I would being to gesture and get "bigger." Overall, the experience was very positive, and the mask got to meet lots of new people and communicate a lot, which was a fun and interesting challenge to communicate information with only my body, eyes, angle of my head, and the mask itself.

From Keegan

2010-05-03T16:12:00.002+02:00

In the fields: I found Hans - what I call the male mask - was a very fascinated but clinical tourist. He had a chest/torso lead that became exaggerated whenever he would scrunch his head back from an object. He (and Gretel, the female mask) were both fascinated by flowers and woodland objects in America. In addition, Has really wanted to catch a squirrel.

The smell of the mask was pervasive and really informed my sense of the character. I felt that the connection to the nature odor of wood really gave Hans an outdoorsman feel, a sort of quiet, content aloofness. He was very meitative while still outwardly exploratory. He wanted to see as much as possible so he could think about it with as well informed an opinion as he could. I remember that he also enjoyed playing games that dealt with vision. With one palm frond, he hid from Gretel, playing a sort of hide and go seek, but still admiring the visual image of the frond and its relation to Gretel.

Our Own Masks at Matoaka

2010-04-30T18:09:00.013+02:00

Kristin Pilgrim in mask

Of course, the Swedish Masks were not the only masked characters out at Lake Matoaka on such a beautiful spring day. Students in the Mask Class were also beginning to explore masks of their own creation at the same time. Here are some interactions!

Moving Objects! Francesca Chilcote in mask

Responding to Architecture! Keegan Cassady in mask

Hamming it up, following the shape of the mask. Kristin Pilgrim in mask

Mask with Lake Matoaka behind. Kristin Pilgrim in mask

Many Masks on the Matoaka Stage! Keegan Cassady, Kristin Pilgrim, and Ellie Terrell in mask

Audience Interaction. Francesca Chilcote in mask

Secret Mission. Margaret Hutchinson in mask

Left to Right, Stephen Dunford, Francesca Chilcote, and Luci Samp in mask

It was interesting to watch the students selecting masks for each turn. I thought that people would be more interested in performing in the Swedish Masks than in our own masks, but that turned out not to be the case. My students were just as eager begin the early explorations of their own masks (that they had made earlier this semester) as they were to take the Swedish Masks to a new environment.

Each mask brings its own, powerful personality. Whether students were exploring the space in a wooden or a papier mache mask, they each found new characters emerging from their bodies in unexpected ways.

I have to say that documenting explorations while also leading them is an extraordinarily difficult task! While wearing the mask, I am familiar with the split-focus required for mask performance. It is exciting to put my own personality on the backburner and see where the mask takes me.

As a teacher, a similar dual focus is required. I want to be with my students 100%, so that I can coach them towards a fulfilling turn in the mask. It is hard to do that with a camera in-hand! I am doing the best I can, but oftentimes, I will forget about the camera in order to be in the experience with my students. It's difficult to find that balance. But, I am so glad to have this blogging responsibility, since it is forcing me to take more pictures than I normally do. As a result, this is becoming one of my best-documented classes yet!

The Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre

2010-04-30T17:37:00.014+02:00

Ellie Terrell in mask

After steaming heat and a blast of rain, the weather finally cooperated with us. A beautiful spring day coincided with our class period, so we decided to take the Masks to visit the Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka, one of Virginia's many man-made lakes. Students can take canoes and kayaks out on the Lake. There is also a ropes course in the area for PE classes.

My students thought that the stage and the amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka would be an appropriate place for an outdoors exploration. During this exploration, students were responding to the shape of the mask, the architecture of the space, and the rhythms discovered in their own bodies.

Zach Armstrong explores the seating options in the upper amphitheatre.

Watching me, watching you. On stage at the Amphitheatre. Stephen Dunford and Margaret Hutchinson in mask

Responding to Architechture. Margaret Hutchinson and Zach Armstrong in mask

Under the eggshell. Lake Matoaka in the background. Ellie Terrell in mask.

Exploring objects. Stephen Dunford in mask

Emerging from backstage. Stephen Dunford in mask

Listening to the mask's rhythms. Margaret Hutchinson in mask

Responding to the shape of the space and the shape of the mask! Ellie Terrell in mask

Exploring Space! Margaret Hutchinson in mask

Our Swedish Guests

2010-04-22T20:26:00.003+02:00

While the wake-up time of 6:00 AM felt a little brutish, the excitement of welcoming our Swedish Guests to Williamsburg during the sunrise on the part of our campus that's several hundred years old was well worth it.

My alarm went off at 6, and I had to be at the meeting spot in ten minutes; it's a five minute walk from my dorm, so it was a safe bet. On a whim, I grabbed my guitar so that I could add some background music to the occasion.

When everyone had gathered and we started to open the cardboard package, I began to play something light and happy; I'm no expert guitar player, so I stuck with the chord's from John Denver's Leaving on a Jet Plane. But when we got to the lock-box with the numerical combination, Vivian (our professor) realized that she hadn't remembered to bring the unlock combination for the box, and attempted to access her email and such through a readily available iPhone. At this point, I switch to minor chords to reflect the gravity of the situation.

The frustration with the lock only added to the feeling of victory when we came up the combination for the lock... on the bottom of the box itself. Feeling both silly and victorious, we opened the box and welcomed the masks to our College with sunrise, history, music, and smiles.

We transported the masks back to our theater building by playing in them along the way, making sure to go past many notable campus locations. I got to wear the male mask. We tried to make friends with a cat, ran up a washed-out hill that had been marked off with caution tape, and jumped on manhole-covers that made a very satisfying gong-like sound when stomped upon.

There's something great about playing in a wooden mask. Their personalities are very distinct and very present; I think it's because the carving of wood is a very personal and organic thing, and the effect of the grain on the mask is something that's not even under the control of the mask maker. It's something that just happens, a beautiful example of how awesome the "unplanned thing" can be.

The metal bits and sharp edges toward the middle of the face initially led me to think that the masks would me much more somber and serious than they ended up being. The masks were always curious, but not often child-like. They often had a maturity about them, but were not world-weary... the bits of man-made metal combined with the carved wood created a beautiful effect. These masks are both natural and man-made, light and dark, mature but not depressed. They are not only neutral in the sense that they convey little to no evocative facial expression, but also because anybody can easily step into them. They figuratively represent all our differences, but as one, unified, living piece of performance art.

-Zach Armstrong, W&M '11

Notes from the Diary

2010-04-22T17:45:00.002+02:00

In the box with the masks, we also found a diary. Here are some entries after our first experiences in the mask:

*We took the masks on a tour of campus, from the Wren Building to PBK Hall. We took turns wearhing the masks, switching off at various sites.

As a graduating senior, this experience reinvigorated my perception of the campus and brought back a freshness I hadn't felt since Fall 2006.

*The masks are like children. Their new eyes make you see the world in a different way. I saw things on campus that I've never seen before. The mask's fresh eyes give you fresh eyes.

*The masks witnessed the sunrise this morning, welcomed by some guitar music. They journeyed through the campus as the sunlight increased.

*The masks were different on every person. Following behind them felt exciting, energizing, even at 6 in the morning.

*Welcome to America! It was great looking at the sunrise with fresh eyes.

*These masks are so vibrant, youthfyl, and spunky. They are so sweet and curious. They love nature and exploring. Very transformative.

Today, we will take the masks to Lake Matoaka, to experience a bit of a wild environment.

An Opening

2010-04-21T19:19:00.010+02:00

Here we are! 6:26 AM 24 April 2010. Pictured, left to right: Mary Jo Damon, Taylor Porter, Ellie Terrell, McKinley Craft, Kristin Pilgrim, Luci Samp, Margaret Hutchinson, Zach Armstrong, Keegan Cassady, and Francesca Chilcote. Lord Botetourte behind us, and the Christopher Wren Building behind him.

Opening the box from San Francisco with safety scissors! Duke of Gloucester (D.O.G.) St. behind us. Capitol Building in the distance. Sun rising behind it.

No Code!

Can technology save us? Vivian tries to type on Luci's iPhone without much success!

Welcome to Williamsburg!

2010-04-20T15:44:00.004+02:00

The thing about waking up at 5:00 AM, is that once you actually make it out of your safe cocoon, it is usually worth it!

This is what I was thinking as I drove to the William and Mary Campus this morning for our extra Mask class session to welcome our Swedish Guests, as we have dubbed the masks, to their first stop on their North American tour.

My name is Vivian Appler and I am teaching a class in mask making and performance at the College of William and Mary. So far this semester, students have created one mask of their own out of papier mache. They have explored in larval, neutral, and character masks, and are working on creating a second mask of their own design. I have been following the Journey of the Masks since Torbjorn's first invitation went out on facebook. Now, I am so excited to be able to incorporate these masks and their North American Journey into my students' final explorations this semester.

In preparation for the masks' arrival, we planned the manner in which we would like to greet them, and welcome them to their temporary home in Williamsburg, VA. They decided that we should open the box together, at sunrise, on campus in front of the Wren Building. The Wren building, designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1695 and 1700, the building is the oldest academic building in the United States. Its East side faces Duke of Gloucester Street. The students decided that there, we should open the box containing the masks so that we could all watch the sun rise over the Capitol Building, which lies one mile East of the Wren Building. It seemed like an appropriate place to begin a Journey.

OK! We had a plan. To ensure that all of my students (many of them seniors in their final weeks of classes) I bribed them with coffee and donuts at the end of our ritual. I arrived, just in time, with the masks and met my cheerful, if sleepy, class. Many brought cameras, Zach brought his guitar.

We gathered around the box (which had only just beat the Icelandic volcano on its journey to the States). I had forgotten my box cutters, but luckily grabbed a pair of safety scissors out of my office in the early morning. We opened the box to find...

Another box!

This one metal with a combination on the front of it. "Oh no!" I had forgotten my special instructions, which I'm sure had included the combination. A truly 21st Century ritual, Lucy immediately pulled out her iphone. Taylor helped me to type myself into all of my accounts, but I could not find that letter anywhere! Where had I put it? "Could it be locked in my office?" I felt like the flakiest teacher ever! And here they were! My trusting students, who had dragged themselves out of bed for a 6:26 AM mask ritual, were putting on a good face, but I knew I had let them down. Throughout the frantic e-search, Zach kept playing his guitar. he knew it would all work out, somehow.

We decided that we could still process back to Phi Beta Kappa Hall, to my office, and find the piece of paper with the code on it. Just as we were gathering our belongings to begin a somewhat sheepish march back to the Theatre building, I heard a cry, "There it is!" Some students had raised up the metal box, to carry it high over their heads on solemn procession, and there it was: the code.

We all breathed a sigh of relief and laughed quite a bit.

We opened the box and found the masks. We hadn't missed the sunrise after all.

We performed our procession back to PBK, playing in the mask and exploring the William and Mary Campus with fresh eyes, each student taking a turn to play in mask and lead the rest of the group.

We ambled around the Wren Building, across the Sunken Gardens, through Crim Dell, checked the time at the Sun Dial, and took a bow on the PBK stage. On the way, we were able to entertain the early risers of this college community: birds, squirrels, a stray cat, and a few students and staff.

And then, we took off the masks, had coffee and donuts, and talked about the first part of our Journey in the Masks.

GREAT !!!!! I AM HAPPY TO READ THAT YOU HAVE THEM AND FOUND THE COMBINATION::: Good luck... looking forward to read more ! / Torbjorn

THE MASKS IS IN USA

2010-04-17T09:23:00.003+02:00

Well they made it just in time.... if the journey had started one day later the flights would had been cancelled because of the volcano ashes from Iceland. Well thay made it and are now travelling from San Francisco to Virginia.... for the first real stop ! It's so great that the journey moves on. SO curious to see what will be happening on this trip ! Hope you all are too !

xx Torbjorn

The US-tour

2010-04-12T07:27:00.003+02:00

Tomorrow the journey will continue, making the first leap across the Atlantic ocean to the US. Be sure to follow the journey across the huge continent from the west coast to New York.

The second part of a possible never ending journey is about to start !

THE END and a new beginning

2010-02-28T10:32:00.003+01:00

In August 2008 I started to make two masks in my workshop in Kungalv, Sweden. That was the start of an incredible journey of two masks around the Scandinavian countries. The masks has on their way visited dancers as Ami, Anna and Skanes Dansteater , actors as Asa in Sweden, Hanne and Kjetil in Norway and Gunnva on the Faeroic Islands, mime actors as Jimmy, composers as Staffan, Authors and Filmmakers as Petra, Visual Artists as Nils. Tis has been a remarkable journey and the different expressions and stories the masks has been inspiring to is wonderful. I am so grateful to all of you and all your contributions. What you all have created is something very unique and rare. This document on the travels of the masks throughout 2009 is a document on inspiration and contains so many different stories. Now I am in the work of trying to make them all justice somehow. I hope they will be edited into a great book of inspiration, and also an exhibition about the journey of the masks. Possibly the exhibition will become a touring one, visiting many different galleries. I will come back to you all about the plans for this.

Well.. I have 150 pages of blogtext and photos, films and more. It's a unique document that deserves to be published somehow.

I got the chance to visit the final show of the Skanes Dance theatre´s production "Face it" - the first half of the show was the choreographies from the different dancers connected o this project. I was stunned and deeply moved... to see the work from these extremelly great dancers and to see how they had been inspired in different ways from my masks. I felt very moved and honored. It also became a source to look back for me on this last year... through these dancers and the companies beautiful production based on the masks of mine I also got to see all the other things you all have contributed throughout this last year. The work of you all that have made me feel so humble and honored. I can't enough say how much I appreciate all the things everyone has contributed. I can only with great humbleness say thank you all. What you all have done is to create a very special and unique document on inspiration and you have all created stories , stories that will somehow be told again and be even further spread.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart !

The end is always a beginning.... The project ended last saturday, but why let the masks end up on a wall? They are meant to travel.. so now they will leave for another journey. The first part will be a tour in USA.... until now 4 different artists will host them, and possibly there will be more. So keep on making visits to this page... the journey will go on, perhaps for ever.. Who knows where they will go !

LUNCHDANS / DANCE AT LUNCH

2010-01-24T18:18:00.002+01:00

Read the blog at Skånes Dance Theatre from the rehearsels and premiere of the work inspired by the two masks on travel. The shows are allready sold out. Follow this link ....... http://blog.skanesdansteater.se/default.aspx

/ T

November 2009 - Færøerne

2010-01-02T15:38:00.005+01:00

The film: The Journey of The Masks can be seen on www.youtube.com
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA0lIW2kXko

Maskerne på Færøerne - November 2009

2010-01-02T14:11:00.008+01:00

Jeg fik maskerne fjorten dage ind i november. De havde siddet fast i tolden i henholdsvis Østrig og i Tórshavn, og havde bare ligget der og ventet, uden at nogen gir besked om dem. Med gode overtalelseevner formår jeg at fortælle, at maskerne er toldfri, de skal sendes af landet igen om en halv måneds tid. Og så fik jeg dem udleveret. Omsider. Så langt så godt. Jeg tænker, at det er vel også en del af rejsen: At ligge fast i burekrati, told -og postvæsen og vente på afhentning.
Nu har jeg dem så i fjorten dage. Hvad skal jeg dog finde på? Da jeg åbner kassen er det snarere maskerne, som finder på mig. Jeg tager dem skiftevis på og det viser sig straks, at de har en krop også, gangarter, små lyde, ikke mange ord –endnu.
Jeg tænker straks, at de må ud og stilles i relation til den færøske natur. Til råheden, stormen, brændningen, havet, lyset, græsset, vandet, stillheden, da de vækker en eller anden urfølelse i mig, noget a la de første mennesker på jorden, undrende og sultne. Eller snarere en urkraft med menneskelige egenskaber. Måske huldefolk? Folk –eller huldrer- der ifølge den færøske mytologi var væsener, der boede parallelt med menneskene, dog borte fra bebygget område, ude i heden, i sten, kløfter og på havet. Hvor de levede deres tilværelse, holdt får, fiskede på havet og havde vel tanker og længsler ligesom menneskene. Usynlige for menneskeøjet, men nogle gange viser de sig og er ikke helt ufarlige for mennesker. Nogle mennesker blev taget af hulderfolkene, blev væk i mange dage og kunne komme tilbage til bygden helt forstenede og nogle gange med et ondt blik. Sådan blev der berettet dengang – før elektricetetens tidsalder, under tranlampens og ildens skær.
Sådanne tanker kredser min fantasi, mens jeg leger med dem. Ihvertfald associerer de noget forniskt. Som gør mig nysgerrig. Og som jeg vil forsøge at fange på video udendørs. Masker i samspil med naturen.
Ud af det kommer en lille filmmontage. Som skal klippes færdig og som lægges ud på bloggen snart. Foreløbig er her nogle billeder.

Gunnvá Zachariasen,
skuespiller

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-01T20:13:00.002+01:00

So the journey have now passed into a new year and a new decade... Will the journey stop after this last planned visit or will it continue for ever ? Well , be part of making that choice ? Should thay also go outside Scandinavia ? I think they are getting ready for bigger leaps now. Well first we will all be so curious what is going to happen on this visit they are making and the Skane Dance Theatre. It will become very thrilling..I am so sure ! Best wishes for a great new decade .. a great and spirited 2010.

Torbjorn

2009-12-17T18:48:00.003+01:00

Och så här blev affischbilden. Foto Peo Olsson.

Äntligen här!

2009-12-17T18:35:00.010+01:00

Äntligen kom så maskerna fram till Skånes Dansteater efter en lååång väntan. Under stor spänning öppnade vi den lilla metall lådan och många var nyfikna på maskerna som ligger som grund till alla koreografier i vår kommande Lunchdans. Här kommer några bilder från uppackandet och affischbilds fotograferingen.

The last part - for this time

2009-12-12T09:55:00.000+01:00

Well-- we are there... one year is coming to an end... the masks have been travelling around since January. The final stop is here.. in Skåne, Swden -- with the Skåne Dance Company. They will keep them for a longer time.. until february 2010. Will the journey stop there ??? I don't know... maybe this is just the beginning.. for a neverendinmg journey. Perhaps there is more people wanting to take care of the masks , to be inspired by them, to add something to their stpry- Let me know in that case.

Good luck all dancers at the Skåne Dance Company !!!!!

The journey in Europe

2009-11-11T00:02:00.003+01:00

WHAT A TRIP !!!!! THROUGHOUT EUROPE ! !!!!!!! So most custom control ... I wonder what they thought it was in the silverbox ??? Masks are still scary things !

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But now they are on the Foroyar !

Snapshots with masks / last night in Berlin

2009-10-26T10:03:00.003+01:00

The masks have been with us for three weeks here in Berlin, and tomorrow we will part with them. They will continue their journey to other Nordic artists, and we will travel to Vienna. The project “Tales from a mask” started our visit here in Berlin with a photo-shoot at the Holocaust memorial site, and on this last evening we end our stay in Berlin with taking some snapshots of us in private, at our rented apartment in Charlottenburg. Although it took us three weeks to document our own use of the masks, they have in deed been present in our conscience this whole period. The masks have been like friends visiting us, only much less work and a lot more suspense. What will come out of our meeting? We have had a lot of ideas – let the masks be tourist like us – or bring them to one of the stages in this European Capitol of theatre. Hanne has been at an actors` work-shop all weekend, and when she came home tonight, we knew the masks were waiting. Although we are so filled with impressions from our journey, the masks invited us into their journey this evening. We are a married couple who are used to act with one another, and the two masks do also seem to be related. We had a really interesting time discovering small things in our interaction, and tried to explore what the masks had to offer. Thank you masks, thank you Torbjörn Ahlström and thank you Berlin!

Snapshots with masks

BERLIN

2009-10-08T14:29:00.005+02:00

The masks are in Berlin ..... and what a journey they are brought to.. read and see the following pictures from their first days with Hanne and Ketil and their two kids. / T

Tales from a mask

We are so lucky to have made friends with actor and maskmaker Torbjörn Ahlström, whom we also invited to teach us in the mysteries of the masks at the S-laget – a place for cooperative art in Norway. It was with awe and great respect we accepted Torbjörn`s invitation to participate in his project “Tales from a mask”, where Nordic artists work with two of his masks for one month. We decided to bring the masks with us to Berlin, from where we are working in October 2009.

As trained actors with little experience in working with masks, Torbjörn`s workshop was like a reminder to rediscover the child within ourselves. We were too eager to succeed, and not as open to what could come out of the mask and the situation. Therefore we wanted to make an exercise where we could observe actual children bearing the masks in public. Our own children, Ingeborg and Asbjørn, were presented to the masks on location, at the memorial site of the holocaust victims in Berlin. This is a really exciting site whit great room for much interpretation from whoever visits it. To our children, it looks like a great playground, but to us who know the history, the rectangular stones very much remind us of tombstones or sarcophaguses. It is a place for life and for death. Let the children play!

We got some interesting photos out of our session with children and masks at the memorial site, and it was interesting to see how the masks attracted attention from both the children and other visitors at the site. Especially strange when a photographer started taking pictures of us taking pictures of the masked children.

When we asked the children how they had experienced wearing the masks, they both said they felt like grown-ups. And as you can see of the pictures, we think this influenced their physique and behavior.

We will work with the masks ourselves later this month, and will remind ourselves of how a child would approach the mask with curiosity and open-mindedness, and let the mask lead the way into grown-up characters! To start with an open mind…

Ketil Kolstad
Hanne Fjerdingstad

wolfcoffee

2009-09-16T04:59:00.002+02:00

the Lapland project

2009-09-14T21:33:00.003+02:00

Masks are important in the traditional Japanese dance discipline. With the change of slight angle of the mask, emotional, seasons and magic can be depicted. I feel we used these masks in a very subtle but sensitive way. We looked at the moon, saw the cloudberries growing along the path, sat to look ahead, etc.
We were magical characters like in Miyazakis "Spirited Away". We transformed from Noh-like elegance to ancient comedians like in Mibu Kyogen.
Thankyou for your masks!
Arigatoo gozaimashita

Heidi S Sakurako Durning
Fujima Kanso o (traditional dancename)
from Kyoto, Japan

after 11 performances with the smaller mask in Vargkaffe

Vargkaffe/wolfcoffee

2009-09-08T17:00:00.001+02:00

Vargkaffe/Wolfcoffee

Vargkaffe - unik dansteater om vargar, väder och vikta lakan av och med tre koreografer från tre olika kontinenter Heidi Durning från Japan Dianne Reid från Australien Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt från Sverige premiär 1 september på Ricklundgården, Marsfjäll

Masks have arrived to Lappland!

2009-08-16T10:22:00.004+02:00

We opened the box together, Dianne Reid from Australia, Heidi Durning from Japan, and me, Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt from Brännö. They came all the way up here, to Ricklundgården, a museum and gueststudio in southern Lappland. This is where we will stay and work for six weeks. We opened them carefully as we have seen being done in temples in Kyoto, by Noh-actors.

We looked at them and each of us then tried them on.

First impression was:
The masks are really strong - how can we involve them in our performance? We are in the middle of creating a danceperformance with the name Vargkaffe/Wolfcoffee. A dancetheatrepiece about wolves, weather and folded blankets. Including video art by Dianne. At first we thought they must have something for themselves, that they wouldn´t find a place among wolves and blankets.

Then we thought they could dance with the caracter SnowQueen, who enters Wolfcoffee twice. They will move slowly with her and then go crazy making puppet theatre about the three of us climbing Marsfjäll. (miniatures) Heidi san just started making the dolls. So this will be their and our task for next week.

with energy and peace from Saxnäs in Marsfjäll!

HOBBIES

2009-07-15T21:58:00.002+02:00

Hey friends !!!!!

Don't miss the great film that Petra Revenue made during her month with the masks! It is just a wonderful piece so don't miss it !!!!! Watch it and be sure to make comments !!!!

Thanks Petra and the rest that made this movie --- it really adds something unexpected to this journey !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQvBYqB6JfU
Det ?r viktigt att man har en hobby

Diary

2009-07-15T21:46:00.003+02:00

Hey there all great people out there in the cyber space. I am sorry that I ahven't been writing for such a long time. Well - the masks are on their journey and I have been working so hard with the production of Kalevala at Vastana teater in Sweden. Now I just had two weeks of great vacation , something very needed. The masks happened to pass by my home for a few days and i took the chance to get some photos from the diary and also the mask on a friend of mine. Nasrin Barati, the artistic leader of the company Teater Sesam. The mask fitted her so great so I just had to take a few shots. Well below is some photos from the diary and the notes that some artists have been writing, and also a few shots on Nasrin. The masks are now with the great composer and musician Staffan Mossenmark. Read about him at http://www.mossenmark.com/start.php

see you soon again !!!!

PETRAS STORY

2009-06-07T08:38:00.002+02:00

( I'm sorry --- This is just in swedish at the moment ...I will do my best to get it translated very soon... but I am at the moment to stressed and overworked with all the masks for Kalevala at Vastana Teater --it opens in only two weeks... sorry --but it will be translated )

Det är verkligen nåt med masker eller hur?
När maskmakare Torbjörn Alström frågade mig om jag ville vara med i hans projekt med maskerna som åker runt till konstnärer i Norden så tänkte jag att jag ska faan inte göra nåt etniskt i så fall.
Det är nåt jobbigt med etniska inslag i teater, tycker jag. (i filmvärlden existerar inte begreppet, antagligen sitter filmfolk i smyg och skrattar åt det samtidigt som dom läppjar på sitt rosevin och pitchar en romantisk komedi om medelklassmediefolk- på ett fräckt ställe typ Hotell Avalon i Göteborg dit det bara går människor som vill ha segelbåt och eget solarium när det inte är filmfestival- för nån som tex heter Sture som garanterat tycker det är en toppenide)

Överhuvudtaget när kulturarbetare ska vara mångkulturella blir det knepigt om dom inte är mångkulturella själva. Ingen från nåt annat land vill väl jobba med ett sånt begrepp?
Just det där med att dansa balinesiskt och indiskt och liksom ta det för allvarligt får det att krypa i en eller hur? Man ska vara så jävla avslappnad med kroppen och rycka till på ett sätt som är naturligt i en helt annan kontext men liksom ta det bokstavligt och tro att man förstår alla religiösa mystiska innebörder i dessa främmande rörelsemönster.Nä jag pallar inte det.
Att blanda och inspireras och göra eget av det etniska hopkoket är dock nåt annat.

Men jag har en plan med masken. Det ska ju bli en kortfilm som ska heta Hobbies. Maskmannen ska göra ganska vanliga saker som att klippa tånaglarna, hälsa på hos PorrPeter, spela biljard och gå på Quizz. När jag diskuterade det med Dr Andersson, som är utbildad inom fysisk teater för hundra år sen, så sa han att det är nog så att Maskmannen inte får vara med. Han har ingen att spela med. Han får nog sitta vid ett eget bord på frågesporten.
Då tyckte jag synd om maskmannen fast han inte fanns ännu.

Jag var på pissdåligt humör hela dagen igår. Men jag hasade i alla fall upp till konstepidemin och mötte dansar-Anna som haft maskerna innan mig. Hon var ganska stressad över nåt produktionsmöte (kulturarbetare är likadana som filmfolk där, alla har så innihelvete mycket för sig) så det blev inget särskilt överlämnande utan hon hivade bara ut lådan genom fönstret.

Jag hasade surt vidare till Trixter och öppnade lådan där. Karin Blixt som jobbat lite med mask sa tidigare när vi diskuterade Torbjörns projekt; Jag undrar om maskens själ kommer att synas i allas dokumentation, eller om den kommer att te sig olika beroende på vem som har den?

Det är ju en sån där konstig grej som folk säger som kan det där med mask. Att masken har sin egen personlighet och liksom tar över den som bär den.
En del masker är jättebarnsliga, en del nästan sinnesslöa. Andra är kvicka, elaka eller har humor.
Jag vet inte, jag har inte jobbat med masker förut, även om Torbjörn regisserade en pjäs som jag skrivit i början av 90-talet. Den hette Bardo och utspelade sig i tibetanska dödsbokens skärseld (du ser hur konsekvent jag är, kan det bli mer etniskt???) Där var en man som haft massor med kvinnor och när han dog dök alla upp och spökade för honom ) En hade en älgkrona på huvudet. Det var jävligt maffigt men jag kommer inte ihåg varför.

Det låg i alla fall två masker i lådan. En kvinnlig och en manlig. Läser du detta på facebook så kan du spana in bilderna på maskerna nedan.
På måndag börjar vi spela in. Då hoppas jag jag är på bättre humör.

Dr Phil var på tv,n igår förresten. Jag kollade lite på honom när jag var för deppig för att skriva mer på ormarnas manus som ska vara klart för läsning i morgon.

Det var ett par där som gift sig och sen skilt sig för att han var otrogen jämt och var inne på en dejtingsajt och hon hade installerat spionkameror i deras rum och så satte han upp lappar här och var i lägenheten där det stod hur hon skulle bete sig.
Han ville höja standarden på deras hem, sa han till Dr Phil.
Men så skilde dom sig alltså men tre månader senare blev dom ihop igen.

Dr Phil kastade ett menande ögonkast ut i publiken.
Var det en bra ide?
Publiken susade för man vet ju inte med Dr Phil eller hur? Skojar han? Menar han allvar? Har han en retorisk poäng? Han är modig och frågar rakt ut;
Varför gifte ni om er?

Frun fick tårar i ögonen. För att jag inte vill vara med någon annan.
Men han har ju försökt strypa dig, sa Dr Phil. Han försökte ta barnen ifrån dig? Och titta här!
Dr Phil pekade på tvrutan bakom sig.
Där publicerades ett mail mannen skrivit till nån som hette Melissa tidigt på parets bröllopsdag. Han föreslog där att han och Melissa skulle ses när han kom tillbaka till Houston veckan därpå.
Jag tror inte den här mannen är giftasmaterial, sa Dr Phil.
Publiken jublade. Dr Phils faboulus-fifty-wife applåderade i närbild och nickade menande.

Då stängde jag av tv,n och låg i mörkret och grubblade på hur gammal jag blivit och på vad jag ska skriva om Karaokekungen idag så att bloggen handlar om filmen och inte blir min privata soptipp igen som den urartade till förra hösten. Den är ju ändå kopplad till Nordisk films hemsida och man vill ju inte verka som en surkärring som sitter hemma och tittar på Dr Phil och inte kommer på nåt vettigt att skriva.

Det är klart med förhandsvisningen nu på Kulturkalaset i alla fall 11 augusti, biljetter släpps den 3 augusti på stadsbiblioteket, och har du varit inblandad i projektet har vi Premiär 31 augusti så det är lika bra du skriver upp det datumet i kalendern. Den 14 augusti har filmen kommersiell förhandsvisning (vad det nu betyder) i Lidköping i en vecka, i September går den upp i större städer som Sthlm, Göteborg, Malmö och Uppsala...sen får vi se hur det går helt enkelt.

Jag ska luncha med producent Annika H idag och smida planer. Till dess ska jag rycka upp mig.

2009-06-01T21:16:00.003+02:00

Tog upp maskerna samma kväll jag fick dem av Torbjörn. Provade den stora o tänkte att jag skulle göra en koreografi jag redan gjort. Men precis som för många andra så tog masken vid själv o jag gjorde helt andra rörelse till samma musik. Den lilla provade jag först några dagar senare eftersom den var helt stum när jag tog upp den första kvällen. Efter en stund växte en karaktär fram. Någon på väg. På en station. Med klåda i sig. Klåda över – vaddå!? Vet inte.
Den stora vägrade att bli en mänsklig karaktär. Var mer som ett djur. Det är verkligen något med masker. Något djupt och grundläggande i mig rörs.

Tyvärr var jag bortrest största delen av maj och kunde inte vara med maskerna som jag önskade. Längtan har väckts i mig att få möta mera och jag hoppas att jag kanske kan få låna dem en stund till vid tillfälle.

Fortsatt lycka till på resan. Om jag lyckas tanka in lite inspelat videomaterial till datorn från den lånade kameran så kan det så småningom finnas små snuttar på bloggen.

/Anna Wennerbeck

I opened the box with the masks the same day I got them. I tried the larger one and had the plan to try a choreography I allready have, but of course the mask decided something different and made totally different movements to the music. The smaller one I tried on first a few days later because at the first meeting the first day it seamed so mute. After a while though a character was developing in my mind. Someone on a journey, on his or her way somewhere, on a station maybe. Someone that carried some itching inside herself. Itching ? Why ? I don't know. The larger mask refused to become a human character. More like an animal. It is something special with masks, soemthing deep and profound inside me are being touched.

Unfortunately I was gone for most of the month and couldn't work as much as I wanted with the masks, but I really hope I can get a chance to meet them again during this journey.

Good luck on the continue of the journey, and if I am able to download a few video clips from my work I will do so.

/ Anna Wennerbeck

2009-05-23T13:47:00.002+02:00

The masks left for a few weeks ago. I spent an intense time working in Denmark, thinking what the masks have contributed.
As always in a creative process artistic encounters seem to synchronize. The masks came to me perfectly timed.
I was working with a script for the Swedish Radio Theatre, my journey with the script started with 2 characters, Memory and Forgetfulness. The masks took the shape of those characters. They told me stories, inspired me, touched me. Writing is a horrible lonesome experience. But the masks gave me company, I could play with them. They seemed to connect me to all needed wisdom.
Thanx for visiting me!!

Åsa Simma

NEXT ARTIST---- delivery

2009-05-08T22:45:00.003+02:00

So..new month , and a new artist. This time it is the dancer Anna Wennerbeck that will host the masks for one month .... see the delivery below !!!!!!!!

Masks enter my home

2009-04-14T12:46:00.002+02:00

After a nice quiet time in the arctic, just facing white snow, like an empty sketchpad, I meet the masks.
I unpack the box carefully, suddenly I have two souls in the hand. My heart starts to beat, I have to pack down the bigger mask. To much power to have them both in my hands.
I try the smaller mask, suddenly I hear a story being told from my new guest. There is an urgency to make me understand its past. I call the smaller mask, my little sister.
The bigger mask is still dwelling in its box, I feel i have to be careful, I have to learn to know them one by one. I have a feeling that the bigger mask will complete the story that my little sister is starting to tell. I let my son, 12 years old meet my little sister. His reaction is strong, he is pleased but scared. In the night when he went to bed. He wanted my little sister to wake him up. I woke up at 5 am, prepared my little sister to use my body. She does not want to use my voice yet. She walks to the bed of my son. Gently wakes him up. He got scared, he told me later that he has much respect for my little sister.

Åsa Simma

Yes, it was very nice to see Torbjörn in my studio at Konstepidemin!

2009-03-26T21:51:00.017+01:00

He walked around talking to me as he was taking pictures of what he could see of my ongoing work for his mask-journey. But he behaved very well! He looked for angles that didn't betrayed too much what was going on – and I´m sure that he even blurred most of his photos.
Then we went to The Blue House-restaurant at Konstepidemin, were the artists in the area have a very lively social exchange at lunchtime. Even though many of my colleagues had a "long time no see” – thing with Torbjörn, I managed to capture his attention telling him about how his masks had made a tour to see my mother for her eighty-eight years birthday.
And this is the story he asked me to share with you:

Together with the masks I took the train to Habo, a village two hours away from Göteborg. Inside my bag was also what I needed to create a little photo-studio in my mothers living room.
My sister and brother were also there and my plan was to take pictures of them and of my mother, with and without the mask. I had already started with my son and daughter, as well as with myself in Göteborg. Another reason to come was a meeting we were going to have with a nurse and a social-worker from the local authority about our mothers present and coming needs.

For me there´s always a mental strain involved in going back “home”, connected with going back to the past. I realise how time flies and how we all are getting older. I see it in my mother as well as in my brother and sister faces. Seeing myself in the mirror I feel as my life is creeping up behind me. And on top of it all, our father is dead and mother is loosing her memory ... Oh, do you see how miserable it can get! What to do to cheer up?
Time to put on the mask!

It was the masks that gave me the idea to take organized portraits of the closest family. I wanted to investigate the similarities and differences between us. For example, how would our differences appear when we were wearing the same mask. In what way would we act differently physically, behave differently towards each other? And most important, I wanted to collect a material to explore and to go on working with in my studio.

Then, when it came to real-life in Habo, questions came up weather to participate or not. A situation that I hoped wouldn't turn up. To be photographed wearing the mask was not the big problem. Together with Torbjörns text about the project, the masks seemed just exciting and fascinating, maybe something exotic. No, it was to sit without the mask, not knowing where the picture would be exposed that was the biggest problem! Thinking about it now, this problem makes this mask-journey even more interesting as it also makes our face of flesh and blood, visible. What's there to hide? Our identity? Our vulnerability? Our naked face? Our shame? Then it also comes to my mind; that some masks, especially the ritual mask, could have the function of releasing us under its cover - protecting us, in the same time as it is exposing us ... So, maybe it's possible that a mask could help something private to be communicated into the public.

I had already presented the idea and my wish to take pictures of our family. This more as a fact than a question. Because, why would anyone question weather to or not to participate? So why awake the question? Should they not trust me, being their brother and all ..! But still, even if I´m their brother it's not strange to worry, specially as I´m an artist. In the history of art- and literature as well as in the contemporary debate there're many example were individuals has their private lives exposed.
Even so, I see the private sphere and the relationships within the family as something political and something too important to be hidden and left in the dark. It's important to investigate the tricky limits around privacy and how open it's possible to be. But one thing is for sure: It's easy to step on sore toes on our way! For example, what does it mean to be loyal to ones family? I claim that everybody have the right to their own history and to make it public if they want to. But the aspects around the limits between the private and public are very sensible to everybody. I think that a feeling of being exposed often is connected to shame. The feeling of shame seem to be one of the most powerful feelings, and in its negative aspect it's maybe the most dangerous emotion of all.
Sensitive issues in general makes the form of what you want to communicate very important and as important as your purpose! The more tricky and sensitive subject, the more skill and care is needed to give it form.

Back in the living-room:
Before the birthday-dinner it was time to take the photos. I covered my grandmothers big painting over the sofa with my black sheet I brought for the night. Then I put a mirror to reflect the light from the window towards the dark side of the face of the one who was going to sit there on the couch.
I was still worried that mother would not like to be photographed, maybe even refuse. And would any of them like to put on a hard wooden mask, used before and by whom? But why not, I argued inside myself; It's not every day you are offered the experience of wearing and seeing your self in a mask, playing with our identity and to do this together with your own family! But, I thought:
“I better warm them up by starting without the mask”.

My mother was first to start. To my relief she even seemed eager to pose. Soon she looked like she had entered another and a better world. Excited, I noticed the great things I could see through my camera and as I didn't want it to end I let her know how great she was! Her reaction, to my compliments about her good looks and skills as a model, were:
- It's just because I'm looking at you with love!
Well, I was happy about that ... But no time to dwell on that, we had to continue with the mask-pictures. First she took the smallest of the two masks in her hands and started by loudly sniff into it, asking:
- How many have used this mask before?
- I'm just the second artist to have it … I answered with some hesitation, not knowing what that meant in numbers of faces.
I don't know how much difference that answer made, but she just put the mask over her face.
“Brave done mother”, I thought thinking about all the warnings she has given me over the years about germs!
When I saw her wearing the mask, I noticed that her movements somehow were released and made her act more animated from before and move her head more freely.
“This is a another great and a unique moment”, I said to myself and didn't want to stop taking pictures.

Just like me, my sister love to pose. But now she was emotionally stressed and tired by putting a lot of worries and attention towards our mother. So when it was her turn, she allowed herself to look just as exhausted as she was and said in a deep exhale:
- Well, this is the way I feel ...
Still, she was enough happy to be in focus so it didn't took her very long before she looked her best. She relaxed and was soon as beautiful as always, just by being there. The magic was repeated.

Then my brother said that he maybe didn't want to be a part of this.
“Here it comes”, I thought.
- Please, I pleaded!
He started to ask a lot of questions about the purpose and in what context the pictures would be shown. Without the mask he could be recognized. I tried to explain. Still, he didn't want to say yes. The others argued in favour of his case. I felt my panic rising and wanted to tell him he had to, even forcing him somehow! I suddenly felt like I was small again with my older brother trying to stop me from getting what belong to me. But I had to take myself together and went on explaining about my ideas, much more than I liked to, just to make him say yes. And in the end he did say yes!
A moment later he looked as he was almost happy to sit in front me.
“Puh, this was a cliffhanger!”, I thought as I noticed how this situation defined our different personalities and position within the family.
Trying on both masks The first born started to get more and more involved. He showed me what a difference it made if his mouth was open to better fit the opening of the mask. I realized that I'd missed that detail earlier!
We agreed to concentrate on the bigger, more masculine mask, even if it were a bit too big for our family's small sized sculls. More than I'd seen before, I noticed that the big mask had a kind of gorilla-look that also reinforced the difference between male and female looks. He then asked our sister to hurry back to sit for some more photos with the small mask. I don't know what my mother thought, maybe it was this primitive animalistic aspect that made her so amused. But by seeing her daughter and son wearing the masks, she burst out laughing her head off. What a joy to see her so light-hearted! Yes, thanks to the masks this moments became the highlights of her birthday.
- I haven't laughed this much in years, she said!

With this story and its happy ending, knock in woood … I say thanks for me and thanks to you for taking part of the mask-journey so far!
I also wish the next mask-carrier a happy relationship with the two masks!

Nils Ramhøj

Notes from a conversation

2009-03-20T19:05:00.003+01:00

I went today to the artcommunity "Konstepidemin" in Gothenburg to meet with Nils Ramhoj, the recent keeper of the two masks. It turned out to be an amazing hour and a half which created many thoughts in my mind. Thoughts around art in general and thoughts around this project in particular.

We went to have lunch at the restaurant just by the studio of Nils. It's part of the community so all the different artists, musicians, dancers, writers and actors form the different studios gather there during lunchtime. At this particular lunch we came to sit at the same table as the great folkmusician Jonas Simonsson and the artist Pecka Söderberg. Jonas wanted to discuss if the art sector was diivided into different levels of art, and it's relation towards the issue of handcraft in art. He had recently been part of a discussion at the Music Academy where he felt a strong division between finer music and less fine music.. We got into a very interesting discussion around this subject that even now creates echoes in my mind of what is art? Who decide what art is? What is this project ? Art or ?????? Well in some ways I end up thinking; Is it important to know if it's art or not, do I actually care ? I guess it comes to the point that it's up to the individual to make that decision, when it all finally is presented. In this project something became very clear today sitting in the studio of Nils and just talked, talking around the basic idea itself and my other ongoing project of writing a book on my ideas on masks and it's artistic as well as social function. I realized that it's as I allready mentioned in the very first description of the project, that it was about stories and how they are createda and developed. BUT - one importnat thing was added today --- the discussion, the conversations that the project itself are initiating. I realized how important this is. Art as a reason to converse ! In some ways I am sad I didn't realize this a bit earlier... the strong inspiration it would become for me to listen to the journey that Nils have been through this last month and the journey the masks have been on, and I suddenly hoped so much to have been able to have this converastions with all the artists, but the allready made up plans makes this impossible. maybe i have to find another way to see if it is possible in some way. I just really got so thrilled by my own realisation that is this mix of expression, impression, inspiration and conversation that the real story are created, and if thats not art I don't know what art is.

Torbjorn

Torbjörn was here!

2009-03-18T00:22:00.006+01:00

Well, so now everybody is expecting an exciting story from me ... we´ll see ...
But first a foto through a mirror in my studio, See a fragment of what Torbjörn could see ...

Mr Fringeys comment

2009-03-13T14:42:00.000+01:00

I guess I never really thought about how they would be transported. This process seems to be as fascinating as the making of the masks. It is like the silence before the curtain rises, the pause before the punchline. This is going to be so BIG!
Happy Travels!

The Visit at Nils Studio

2009-03-13T14:37:00.002+01:00

I just need to tell about the great visit I made today at the studio of Nils Ramhoj. To see the work he was doing and even more the stories he told me about the visits he taken the masks on and the thoughts the masks had created in him. I wish you all could had been there. But I know that Nils will write more soon, so just be patient and you will bedrawn into a great story.

See you soon again...I will soon write more !!!!!

SOME THOUGHTS …

2009-02-25T14:57:00.002+01:00

2009-02-22T18:55:00.007+01:00

*Ansiktet är själens form. Det är på denna plats, på denna scen, som livet lättast bjuder upp och kanaliserar sin kraft. Man skulle även kunna säga: ansiktet är livets mask. Märk väl att detta inte utesluter att somliga förvandlar hela sina kroppar till ansikten.
*Michael Azar, Ögon/blickar, citat ur boken Bilder av en far (see: www.nilsramhoj.se)

We are very sensitive to other peoples faces and good at reading their expressions. If someone is trying to keep a straight face to cover up what´s really going on inside, we notice. No wonder that it can be a relief to put on a mask to hide behind now and again.

To put on a real mask, like the kind Torbjörn is making, over your own face is scary. It can be a very uncomfortable experience. It can make you wonder who you really are, when you no longer see your well-known face in the mirror. The same kind of question comes up when someone you know very well takes on a mask. Can she or he longer be trusted? Also meeting someone to you totally unknown wearing a mask can make you jump. Is it a enemy or a friend?

I have sometimes seen it as my task to uncover, to see through, expose what´s behind the surface of a façade. To find the true face behind a mask. Not to put on a mask, but to be true and honest. To take it off. Well, that gives me plenty to do as we most of the time are protecting ourself by wearing our mask of flesh and blood.

I do portraits quite often. Maybe I make only one picture of a person and that only image has to look like and reflect that specific personality. Of course, it is insane to think that one single expression can reflect the whole diversity of a person. Impossible! Represent maybe, but not reflect the complexity of someone.
And even worse; while trying to get under the skin, to unmask that person, I realize what I´m really doing is to superimpose my own ”face” over the others. This is happening while thinking I was uncovering the true face of that person! And which is the true face of someone? We have so many.

So, as I have always worked with the human face and its expressions in my art, it was great that Torbjörn asked me to take care of his two masks. Directly after his question that night at Röda Sten and the first feeling of pressure of being asked to produce had faded, the ideas started spinning in my head. But first, after seeing the sceptical expression of my face, Torbjörn felt he had to calm me by saying:
- Nils, it´s OK if nothing happens, maybe the masks won´t evoke anything in you. And that´s just fine, you don´t have to do anything … just let them stay with you for a month.
Yes, Torbjörn is a smart guy! I even let him get away with:
- All you have to do, is to document what the masks do or don´t do to you …
And here I sit with the masks … I´m both a bit angry at Torbjörn because he make me have to work … and have to challenge myself, but also happy and thankful because he gave me a reason to do so. Time is short, and as I have a lot of GRAND plans, I´ll probably fail … but and yes, Torbjörn also include failure in the project. So how could I fail? And indeed, just the ideas in themselves that was coming up from knowing that I would have to confront the masks, have made the job already .!?
So, time to document ;-)!

Nils Ramhøj

Hepp! Here we go ...

2009-02-17T17:46:00.005+01:00

De två maskerna skickades till mig från Stockholm av januari månads mask-innehavare Jimmy Meurling. Tyvärr hade jag just då fullt upp med att söka projektbidrag, men från mitten av månaden har jag på olika vis förhållit mig till dessa två masker. Flera idéer kom till mig redan innan jag fick maskerna i min hand. De uppslag jag sedan började realisera är de som bäst smälter samman med mitt sedan tidigare planerade arbete. Jag ser framför mig att jag kommer att följa detta spår tills det ebbar ut eller tar andra vägar.

För mig har resan bara börjat!

Nils Ramhøj

open ...

2009-02-17T17:45:00.002+01:00

open ...

2009-02-17T17:44:00.002+01:00

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2009-02-17T17:43:00.002+01:00