With the arrival of the carnival season, comes another showcase exhibition, – this time in the atmosphere of the Venice Carnival. Károly Nemes, the maker of Venetian masks, has had an exhibition at the Kölcsey Center previously and after the success of the showcase exhibitions, his masks have resurfaced, these can be admired in the shop window of Hunyadi Street between February 9th and March 1st.
“The story started years ago when I first visited Venice, just in time for a carnival. I explored the streets, lined by tiny bridges, hundreds of alleys, with wonderfully decorated masks in countless shop windows, smiling at me. I felt I needed such a mask! I started researching how I could make one. I have learned and experimented with several different creative techniques, as the secret of making a real Venetian mask is strictly kept by Italian masters. (…) It took several years for me to make my first mask. I’ve improved my technique and been making much nicer masks since then, but my first mask is still the dearest to me.
I am also interested in the origins of masks, how the shapes were formed, and what the meaning of each color is.
For traditional Venetian masks, the Commedia dell’arte, was folk acting, it gives the characters and the characteristics they represent, which the shapes of the masks express emotionally, each color also expressing human qualities. Today, this meaning of the masks has been pushed into the background. (…)
The exhibition shows my recently completed works, which represent different techniques, colors and shapes. I hope you enjoy it and hope I have aroused interest, not only in the masks, but also in the mystique of the Venice Carnival. ” – (Károly Nemes, the maker of the masks)
Visitors can see the exhibition in the shop window on Hunyadi Street from the Kölcsey Center on February 9 from 4 pm to March 1st.
The costumes and figures were made by the teachers and students of the SZC Creative Technical School in Debrecen.
