THE MASK ARCHETYPE

Text topic: Mask and Masking

Text author: Бојан Јовановић

Masking as a phenomenon is not only anthropological since identical mimicries in nature point to a universal life principle which also confirms itself in the social, cultural and spiritual reality of humans. In addition to its own meaning, a mask gains another meaning in this reality, as an archetypal expression of human desire to achieve greater eminence in the known world but also to push the existing limits. Masking has become a manner for exploring the possibility of being someone else or someone different in the process of asserting one’s identity, where both a man and his shadow can be expressed. Reality of the virtual world proves that hiding behind a number or a password provides the necessary safety from aggression but also enables the masked aggressor to express their dark side, causing damage or harm to others.