TIRANA, Oct. 18 – The emerging Albanian artist named Emanuel Koko has created masks, which will be on display at an exposition hosted by the Kalo Gallery, starting on the 18th of October, at 6pm. His exhibition seems to be mainly inspired by an anonymous Baroque poet, who, with bravely and revolt, said: “We are not humans, we are masks, living masks that talk to each other, enter into communication and friendship with each other.” This exhibition is a manifestation of the poet’s claim that we, as humans, have a great desire to hide behind a mask.
Masks have been used several millennia ago, from primitive people, who were very keen to show a kind of unimpeachable authority through wearing them. In ancient Rome, the word persona meant ‘a mask’. Staying behind the mask one could believe to be protected by hiding out. In other circumstances they were simply used for performance or entertainment. So, the masks have been traveling with men throughout of the history of mankind. Koko’s masks are made in various shapes and media, such as ceramic, terracotta, metal, stone, wood, etc.
Now the world we live in has got great scientific achievements, high technology, the highest forms of organization of social life. Nevertheless, masks are still present in our modern lives because still today, masking, hypocrisy, concealment of true feelings and thoughts is part of personal efforts to be accepted by the society.
Increasing means of communication in social networks has enabled the multiplication of masking. However, the masks, the recorded moments of joy, amusement, beauty, sadness, melancholy, and all other senses that you can find as materialized in this exhibition, will not deceive you. There are masks of common people, of different sexes and ages, from different time zones.
You will get the impression that masks are actually looking at us as if we are being displayed. They will look at our quasi-mask-faces. Finally, the masks are ringing the alarm bell, appealing for more honesty and high integrity by humans. The exhibition will be open until the 5th of November 2017.
