EXPERIMENTAL / ESSAY

The Forest of Masks

A short film exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art of Paris as part of the exhibition 'Toyen, l'écart absolu from March 25 to July 24, 2022.

A film by Joseph Paris
Experimental · 2022 · Commissioned
Collaboration with Benjamin Lazar
With Judith Chemla
Julien Cigana
Jessica Dalle
Benjamin Lazar
Dominique Parent
Inspired by the book Le Roi Gordogane
Original work by Radovan Ivsic
With the masks of Toyen
Text selection Benjamin Lazar
Original music Raphaël Pannier
Production Compagnie Le Théâtre de l’Incrédule
Coproduction Centre culturel tchéque de Paris (direction: Jiří Hnilica)
As part of the exhibition Toyen, L'écart absolu - at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris
Sound recording Léo Chupin
Artistic collaboration on the recording Jessica Dalle
Le Théâtre de l'incrédule
artistic direction Benjamin Lazar
administration Sonia Stamenkovic
production Pia Doublet
Le Théâtre de l’Incrédule est conventionné par le Ministère de la Culture- DRAC de Normandie et reçoit régulièrement le soutien de la Région Normandie, de l'Odia, de la Spedidam et de l'Adami.
Benjamin Lazar est artiste associé à la Maison de la Culture d'Amiens.

Video made from the eleven masks designed by Toyen for Radovan Ivsic's play, King Gordogane.
On a black background, a play of light reveals a series of neutral masks, drawn by Toyen before her collages, elements of the composition of the masks appear in the image: mouths, snake, fire, bird's head, cherries, fern, rope, feathers, knives, chestnut, scissors, coin. To each voice a character, and to each character a mask. When we hear a voice, it is the corresponding mask that is in the image. The images of the masks show themselves as much as they conceal themselves. Pieces of masks come together and gradually give shape to the masks as designed by Toyen, trying to imagine what the path of his thought might have been.