The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan announced UNMASKED, a multidisciplinary art exhibit about the concept of masks related to culture and identity and will be on display from March 17 to June 5.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, masks have become part of our daily lives, helping keep communities safe. However, UNMASKED plans to display the concept of masking in relation to ancient, historical, and cultural ways.
The exhibit will feature photography, painting, ceramic and video installations.
“UNMASKED is a group exhibit of artists from three different continents, from cultural hubs including London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Haifa, New York, and Los Angeles,” said Udi Urman, Exhibit Curator and MMJCCM Director of the Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas. “The exhibition showcases an array of styles and media, but is thread together by asking the question: ‘What happens when we mask ourselves? What happens when we unmask?’ The selected artists answer these questions uniquely, often with humor, by exploring their own identities and the ways in which we come to know ourselves through technology and through one another.”
The eight artists who plan to explore the concept of masking unique to their cultures and identities are Guy Aon, Elinor Carucci, Omri Goren, Marie Hudelot, Iddo Markus, Michal Pollak, Gideon Rubin and Julie Weitz.
Each of their mediums of art will be presented by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. The MMJCCM is a communal, non-profit organization that creates opportunities for people to connect, grow and learn within an ever-changing Jewish landscape. They have always been committed to serving the community by offering programs, classes and events that extend beyond neighborhood boundaries, reaching people at all stages of their lives.
This event will serve to further educate the public of the use of masks in historical Jewish culture. In an abstract way, the artists will capture the concept of the “masks” Jewish people often wore to disguise their identities by changing their last names or physical appearances to avoid life-threatening antisemitism. Additionally, this exhibit will feature the use of masks in the Jewish celebration of Purim.
UNMASKED will open on March 17 with an Opening Night Party to celebrate Purim with a stilt walker and hamentashen beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The exhibit will be held at the Laurie M. Tisch Gallery at the MMJCCM, 334 Amsterdam Ave New York, NY 10023. UNMASKED is free and open to the general public with no reservation needed.
