Mask by Soyoun Kim

"The current Covid-19 pandemic appears to offer the chance to reflect on how we live together and it reminds of the deeply rooted racial discrimination. The absurd syllogistic reasoning prejudge people based on their appearance. The project, Mask, refutes fixed identity based on ethnicity through multiple interpretations of a mask and performing body with a perspective of an Asian-Australian:

A mask is to protect from the spreading of the virus.

: It is to protect from the physical and verbal violence on Asian-looking people with the blame of spreading the virus.

: It is a vulnerability of people who are exposed to discrimination like a weaken immune system.

: It is a disguise of the selfish act with an excuse of survival and uncertainty of the future.

: It is the beautification of whiter and fairer skin to resemble white Westerners within the Eurocentric concept of beauty and superiority.

: It is a superficial representation of a person regardless of inner character.

The unidentifiable blurring face and damaged Instant ID photographs imply the ambiguity of identity with the debate on the veracity of truth on the visual representation of appearances. Mask advocates the equity of the human being, colliding hierarchisation and binary structure of white and non-white people under the notion of humanism.”

Mask by Soyoun Kim is presented as part of Mapping Melbourne 2020-21.