Costume Party

Since the beginning of times, humans have used costumes as a chance to playfully trick their observers and step into a different character.

Evidence of this can be traced back to the Bible. In chapter 27 of Genesis, Rebecca commands Jacob to dress up as his brother Esau in order to obtain the blessing that his father has kept for his elder brother. The costume achieves its purpose and Isaac blesses Jacob with the words: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”

The history of costumes is marked by several milestones: from biblical times through Greek mythology and masquerade balls in Europe, to the Burning Man festival in the United States.

Wearing a costume or mask offers a release from one’s daily behavior and opens a gateway from the conscious self into the hidden self. This act of camouflaging thus triggers a mental disconnection from the self-accompanied by an enhanced sense of confidence in one’s actions.

The sense of wonder arising from one’s encounter with his or her inner world can crush all that is usually considered normal and known. The change in appearance provokes a detachment from any kind of intelligible and familiar reality. New light is shed on individual inner feelings which, without the help of a disguise, would have remained bottled-up and buried away.

In certain cases, the costume will be an accessory to the breach of socially-accepted codes. When operating under confidential cover, the wearer puts himself or herself at risk of being caught for violating social norms. The costume therefore encourages a dissolution of conventions for both better and worse: the experienced state of audacity, exaltation and all-powerfulness comes at the risk of social collapse and self-destruction.

The costume allows one to hide behind a false identity. And yet through this very choice, one’s truest qualities and deepest dreams are brought up to the surface.

The exhibition “Costume Party” presents works from emerging artists, all art school graduates from the last five years from the following institutions: Tel Hai Institute of Arts, Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design.