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Falschgesichter, 2021
Masks on fold paper and printed text
Exhibition copies
Courtesy of the artist

This series is based on the book Exotische Masken [Exotic Masks], published in Germany in 1953. Castillo Deball replaces the black-and-white photo of each mask with a series of folded papers that follow the form and structure of the original objects. The only thing left on the page is an abstract image created by the creases and the technical description of each mask.

Ethnographic objects often function as a blank screen on which we can project all kinds of nationalist, imperialist, romantic or rational fantasies. In each case, the final results tell us little about the objects or their creators and much about the needs, concerns and ideals of those who participate in these projections. Castillo Deball directs our attention to the weight of our language in the creation of an image, especially given the absence of the original photograph or a figure we can look in the eye.


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