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“From reality to the future”
Exhibition of the collection of ritual masks by Fotis Kangelaris
During the 8th Peloponnisos International Doc Film Festival and in the context of the special tribute “Civilizations of Sub-Saharan Africa”, there is going to be an exhibition of ritual masks of the collector and Psychopathologist/professor, Fotis Kangelaris. The exhibition will take place from 3 to 10 April 2022 in A49 Gallery (49 Anagnostara Str, Kalamata).
The collection of F. Kangelaris consists of about 1,000 masks of various materials and sizes and a corresponding number of accompanying objects, musical instruments, clothes, jewelry, fabrics, ritual objects.
It is, perhaps, the largest collection in the world, which he explains is “the result of decades of painstaking, persistent and systematic search, in all countries of the world often in adverse conditions and even more difficult cultural approaches to obtain these masks, but also for their transport. Some of them are extremely rare, coming from endangered tribes or tribes that have culturally disappeared from the map”.
These masks could generally be divided into two major categories in terms of their orientation. On one hand there are those of theatrical use, such as the Noh, the masks of the Indian Epics, Korea or Vietnam, something similar to the Greek masks or the masks of the “Commedia dell 'Arte” and on the other hand the ritual masks with the purpose of inviting or expelling metaphysical forces, intermediate spirits, deities, etc.
It should be noted that the word mask, especially in the communities of the Pacific Ocean and Africa, means the complete disguise of the individual and not just the face. Also, the mask may not be worn but may be held or placed in a part of the community. Some of them are destroyed immediately after the ceremony or are made of materials that gradually decompose, such as grass, colors, etc., as they retain or exhaust their power.
Visitors to the exhibition (April 03-10) will have the opportunity to see 25 wall masks, 8 table masks and 2 figurines.
As part of the tribute, Fotis Kagkelaris will be present at the opening 6pm at A49 on 3rd April and will talk about "Ritual Masks, Psychoanalytic and artistic remarks”.
Brief CV
Fotis Kangelaris holds a PhD in Psychopathology from the University of Paris. He was a professor in Higher Education in Paris and Athens: UNIWA, Hellenic Army Academy, School of Nursing, School of Art Theater, ASFA, HPS etc. He was a researcher at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. He has written essays, literature and university books. He is the President of the The Society of Studies of Cultural Alterity.
He has given numerous lectures, seminars, interviews and has participated in numerous television and radio shows as well as in numerous conferences. He has curated art exhibitions and made book presentations, theatrical reviews, etc. He has been the organizer of the “Performance Cycle” for the promotion of Performance in Greece. He was also the Scientific Director of the Center for Research on Sexual Disorders. He has been particularly involved with the psychosis, psychology and psychopathology of the image with emphasis on photography and the relationship between psychopathology and art. As a collector of ritual masks, he has, perhaps, the largest collection in the world.