Juno Wela
     

Creating stories on skin and paper.
 Paris / Zurich

Email: juno.wela@posteo.net
Instagram: @juno.wela 


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How is your mental state behind your mask?
Exhibition - October 2022


Exhibition: 14. – 28.10.2022
Kraftwerk ZH, Zurich

Artistic Concept: Living Museum collective pōk
Artworks: Living Museum collective pōk
Curation: Juno Wela
Collaboration with: Les Papillons, Madnesst, rooom
Photography: © Daniel Müller
Sponsored by: Impact Hub Zurich


The exhibition “Behind Your Mask” dared to explore the many facets of our everyday faces – and what remains hidden beneath them. The vernissage called attention to the metaphorical masks we wear on a daily basis, in an attempt to mirror societal norms. As part of the mental health activism of the Living Museum Wil, the Living Museum collective pōk communicates the clear message: Look behind your own mask.


This debut solo exhibition by the anonymous artists of the collective was presented in October 2022 at Kraftwerk Zurich. Organised by pōk and curated by Juno Wela, the interactive exhibition invited viewers to take a look behind the many masks of mental health in our everyday lives and to become part of the artistic process. The showcasing of seemingly empty large-format canvases would reveal an artwork by the help of the visitors interaction with it. This bridging element between artists and viewers raised questions of societal roles in relation to mental health and formed a key aspect of the vernissage.


The participatory evening was accompanied by performances of the dance group Les Papillons and a panel discussion on the topic of “Mental Health Behind The Mask”. The discussion, moderated by Juno Wela, was attended by art therapist Dr. Nicole Ottiger from the Living Museum Wil, an anonymous artist from the Living Museum Collective pōk as well as two members from the activism collective Madnesst. The event was realised in partnership with Impact Hub Zurich. The artistic technique developed by the collective uses diluted clay residue, among other things, which is poured over the prepared canvases and reveals the initially invisible motifs over time.The so-called “spills” enable visitors to have a participatory experience in the exhibition context. Each work is unique and reflects the artists' personal and collective processes. The frames of the canvases are made from simple roof battens and are reusable. Sustainable materials are used in the production of the canvases.

In addition to the physical exhibition space, the works were also displayed in the Metaverse. Ten works created by members of the pōk Collective were shown as NFT’s. The exhibition space was provided by rooom, as part of Impact Hubs series 'Hybrid Vernissage'.