Interactive Dance Masks

For Nuu-chah-nulth people, the line between culture and art is not historically a separation, it is not a divide; rather, in our language, they are one and the same. And yet, the distinction of culture and art is so crucial to our work as Nuu-chah-nulth artists today. How do we understand masks stolen from our grandparents and put in museums - while we ourselves make masks to hang on the wall? How do we educate the public to respect art - while not taking cultural objects that should not be seen outside our ceremonies? 

As a Nuu-chah-nulth artist, from the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, these questions build the foundation to my practice. To try and find answers, I created four interactive masks to show in gallery spaces - masks meant not to hang on the wall, but for the viewer to wear. They are not ceremonial masks, but they are not solely art. Inside each mask is a video of a dancer dancing the mask, transposed across video of the movements of the animal the mask represents. In putting on the mask, the viewer becomes the performer. They are offered a glimpse into the the cultural Importance of our masks - without us risking or losing our important ceremonial protocols. 

The masks have been shown numerous times in Victoria, BC, including at a four month long show at the Legacy Gallery. They have been written about in the Journal of Canadian Art History, travelled to countless classrooms as teaching tools, and were shown in Hamburg, Germany for seven months at the Markk Museum. 

Explore the masks below, including an interactive 360 degree view and a video of the quʔušin (raven) mask.

The quʔušin (2014) mask, shown below, was the initial prototype for the project, with each subsequent mask evolving and adapting to create a further virtual reality experience.

quʔušin (2014). Click on the image to interact and see the 360 degrees of the mask.

Video: a glimpse into the experience putting on the mask.

Photo credits: Hjalmer Wenstob; MARKK Museum, Hamburg; Annika Benoit-Jansson; Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Annika Benoit-Jansson; Hjalmer Wenstob; Annika Benoit-Jansson; Legacy Art Gallery.

Artist Tlehpik Hjalmer Wenstob acknowledges the BC Arts Council Micro-grant program for their support with the interactive 360-degree display and video.