Masquerade. Who am I, really? And if yes, how many?
Am I a bitch... am I a lover, or a child... a mother? Am I sinner, am I saint – and how can we even cite stuff like that without feeling ashamed? Slipping into different roles and identities is often just a matter of disguise. Of putting on the right mask at the right time. We all tend to do that, occasionally. Some of us want to hide themselves – others want to show aspects of their identity more vividly.
You might think of colorful carnival at first. With its plethora of masks and costumes running abound.The Cowboy, the Sailor, the Cat, the Princess. You might have seen cultic masks dating back to obscure times. Times when mad ghosts and evil spirits had to been driven out of secluded villages. What about transvestites and other ways of cross-dressing – a masquerade meant for hiding or showing?
Speaking of hiding: A certain amount of disguise seems to be inevitable on the whole. In times of publicCCTV and face recognition a new generation of textile camouflage becomes en vogue, for example. But to be clear, digital masquerade hasn’t emerged trending just now – here’s looking at you over there,"SillyMe69"! MySpace nicknames, Facebook accounts, avatars and profile pictures... a mask can be as small as 16 x 16 pixel.
In disguise anything is possible! On the outside as well as on the inside. Looking like someone else might transform you into someone else. Behaving differently. Talking differently. Thinking differently? An unsolicited masquerade promises to be an adventure of sorts. But a forced one – because you have to –could easily become a burden, a strain.
The Fork behind the mask – let’s take a look at it!
