They have brought the stories of masks and masquerading to life in all their splendour at the museum, where this major exhibition showcases over 120 original masks and colourful outfits from Slovenia and abroad.
The desire to become “someone else” has accompanied humankind since the dawn of civilisation – masquerade is not merely a Shrovetide pastime, but part of our daily lives and the customs of both annual and life cycles. As a universal phenomenon, masks have connected people for millennia in their quest for contact with the supernatural, as illustrated in the SEM exhibition by exceptional objects from non-European and Slovene collections.
During the Shrovetide season, the everyday world is turned upside down. In addition to traditional Shrovetide customs, the exhibition also reveals aspects that usually remain hidden – the preparations, the role of the community, and the satirical power of masquerading, which holds up a mirror to society.
The central part of the museum exhibition is dedicated to Slovenia’s rich Shrovetide heritage and the diversity of its characters – from the Laufarji of Cerkno and the Škoromati, to the Lig Pustje, Ponikve Mačkare, and the famous Kurenti – and draws attention to how traditional masquerading has adapted to modern times.
You are warmly invited to the Slovene Ethnographic Museum and discover the colourful world of masks!
