Alias
Alias Magazine about Masks is a collaborative work of 4 students. This magazine researches many different types of masks and their usage. The masks are split up in different categories: conceal, conserve, perform and protect. There are mask that were used in the middle ages to protect people from illnesses, masks that are used by tribes that are now on display in western Europe, masks that famous music artist use to perform as a character and there are also figurative masks, such as the filters used on social media to conceal the imperfections.
To conceal is to hide, it can be your face, a secret or your personality. Sometimes it is up to you what you keep private, for example on social media we tend to only show our most beautiful selves, while covering up our insecurities. It is also easier to pretend to be happy and suppress our emotions. This leads to a society where everything you see online could be fake. Other times it is not out of free will to conceal ourselves, which is not relatable for everyone, because we live in a western country where we are free to reveal as much of ourselves as we want (to some extend). This is not the case for a lot of women around the world who are controlled by men. The women are not able to make choices about what they wear. To conceal is to create anonymity willingly or not.
To conserve is to keep from losing. Remembrance is an import aspect of conserving. Traditions are kept to remember and celebrate our culture. A tradition can be carried on through generations which can make it outdated to some people, while others hold on to it dearly. At some point your own values become more important than a tradition. Others do not have the same values and to them it can feel as if you have crushed a part of their culture. Likewise, the people dear to us are difficult to lose. A deceased person is remembered partly through their appearance, but with time the image of someone’s face begin to fade. Without photographs they are easily forgotten. To conserve is to keep from forgetting.
To perform is to entertain. It is a type of art to be able to amuse an audience. To entertain others, you have to keep their attention. A shocking statement will leave others thinking about your performance. An embarrassing statement will make a person connect more to you. A funny statement will give others a reason to smile. To entertain an audience, you must keep in mind what you want to say with your act. The person behind the act is not the same person as the act showcases. On stage you can take up a whole new personality. To perform is to separate one’s identity from one’s body.
To protect is to keep yourself save, whether it's from an illness or from evil spirits. By putting something in front of the most essential part of your body you can ensure that nothing comes through. Viruses are easily contaminated through your mouth or nose, they can cost you your life. Your face is with what you communicate most, without it somethings are lost in translation. 4 of your 5 senses are located on your face, if you were to lose those, your abilities would change drastically. Your sense of smell or your eyesight are, among others, important for your everyday life. Another way to protect yourself with a mask is to make it terrifying for others to look at. You can protect yourself from evil spirits and even people. To protect is to shield yourself from the outside world.