The many faces of MiaoliThe ongoing Miaoli International Mask Festival features some of Asia's most stunning works in the traditional art form
By Tiffany Feng (staff reporter of Taipei Times)-- Tuesday, April 3, 2001
The Second Miaoli International Mask Festival, which opened Satuaday, is presenting one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Asian masks ever held in Taiwan. The event, which runs until April 29, will also incorporate an array of folk music and dance performances associated with the use of masks.
The exhibition and performances are sponsored by the Miaoli County Culture Bureau, which has invested NT$30 million in the project. The event was first held in 1999, but was of significantly smaller scale. "Fifteen dance groups were invited this year compared to only six in 1999 when the event was last held," said Chou Chin-hung, director of the Miaoli Cultural Affairs Bureau. "For the exhibition, we have also brought in some very valuable artifacts. Last time, the exhibits were all just handicraft products," he added.
The current exhibition, which focuses on Asia, contains 403 masks, many of them over a century old. Highlights of the exhibition are two sacrificial masks from Java which date back 1000 years, one of which is made of gold, the other of bronze. Securing these objects' shipment to Taiwan for the show was perhaps the event's biggest coup. "insurance made up a large part of the expenses for this show," said Chou.
The mask exhibition takes the form of an installation art display and aims to cover the two main traditions of mask are in Asia, Chinese and Indian. Chou said viewers will be able to see the frequent overlap of the traditions, especially visible in the mask art of regions like Tibet. Featured masks originate from Mongolia, Tibet, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The Miaoli Mask Festival was initiated in 1999 during the preparation for the construction of the Sanyi Museum of Wood Sculpture , when cultural administrators happened upon the strong vein of mask art that exists within Miaoli's wood carving tradition.
The subtitle of the show "Masks, a Banquet for the Soul" is intended to emphasize the important role that masks play in expressing religious aspirations and the importance of masks in traditional culture.
Although masks are not commonly used in Chinese ritual or performance, Hakka culture, which is strongly represented in Miaoli, uses masks in funeral rites, which explains the choice of Miaoli for the event.
Hakka masks will be on display, as will another form of Chinese masks, called "Nuo", which date back to the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) and are currently only used in China's relatively isolated Guizhou and Jiangxi Provinces.
One of the most dynamic elements of the festival will be performances by troupes from all over the world. These will be held in many different locations around Miaoli and most, with the exception of those by higher-profile dance groups, will be free.
Organizers say the event is a rare opportunity to learn about the rich heritage and multiple religious and cultural usages of masks. "By wearing a mask I represent a ghost. In the northeast of Thailand, the masked performers scare away evil spirits that lurk in the wilderness," said one ghost performer of the Nongkhai Dramatic Art Club from Thailand.
Members of Mongol National Ethnic Dance Group said that their masks were representations of Buddha, and their performance was intended to subdue demons and enhance people's faith in Buddhism.
Fu Hsueh-peng, Miaoli County commissioner, said he hoped the arts festival would become a regular events to show off Miaoli's culture and give Miaoli residents a chance to learn more about the cultures of other nations.