MASKS
Masks is an international, multidisciplinary project that explores the emotional, identity-based, and cultural dimensions of human experience through the creation and performative use of masks.
For millennia, masks have served as tools for examining identity and the symbolic meaning of emotions through rituals and theatrical expression across nearly all cultures of the world. As universal symbols of transformation, they represent a shared human heritage. This universality forms the foundation of the project, which places the ancient symbol into a contemporary artistic context and uses it as a tool for intercultural dialogue and emotional articulation—recognizing the mask as a common point of departure where different cultures, traditions, and generations meet.
In this project, the mask functions as a visual, physical, and symbolic medium of transformation. Participants create masks embodying specific emotions and personal narratives; their encounter culminates in a collective performative composition—a poetic reflection of human relationships, tensions, and synergies.
Led artistically by Inti Šraj, the project unfolds in diverse cultural contexts and is built on collaboration with local communities, artists, and institutions in each location. Its international dimension is essential: the project is grounded in the exchange of knowledge, artistic practices, and cultural perspectives, fostering intercultural competencies, creative reflection, and community connection.
Burkina Faso – The First Chapter
The first edition of the project took place in 2025 in Burkina Faso, in collaboration with the educational and artistic program Ateliers d’initiation Kienta, which enables young people to explore their own history, identity, and cultural heritage through art. The sixth edition of the program, in which Masks participated, focused on the significance of personal and family names and their role in shaping identity—a theme that naturally aligned with the workshop’s focus on authenticity, emotional intelligence, and community belonging.
The workshop was attended by children and adolescents aged 11 to 18. Through theater and movement exercises, as well as methods drawn from art therapy, participants explored their emotions, relationships, and personal potential. The process was designed as a safe space for self-reflection, creative expression, and collective collaboration. In Burkina Faso, the project became a complete artistic process—from introspective exploration to public articulation through the final performance, which brought together all created elements into a cohesive whole. It enabled participants to gain practical skills, develop creative competencies, and experience the full arc of developing an artistic idea from conception to realization.
The masks were created from materials found in the children’s environment—earth, animal elements, plants, and shells. Participants shaped these elements into personal images, often through animal figures such as the buffalo, monkey, gorilla, or dove, whose symbolic qualities represented sources of strength, wisdom, and inner energy. Each mask became a unique expression of the individual’s perception of the world—a protective symbol and a mirror of one’s inner landscape.
The project involved visual artist Ixone Ormaetxe Gabilondo (Basque Country) and photographer/cinematographer Borut Bučinel, whose contributions expanded the visual and conceptual horizons of the project.
The Next Chapter
The next edition of Masks will take place in Senegal and Ljubljana, in collaboration with the women’s music ensemble Jigeen Ñi, Grand Théâtre Dakar, and the Druga Godba Festival Ljubljana.