Mask-Making Open Laboratory

INSIDE THE MASK

The playfulness of Abstraction

(Towards New Artistic Expressions)

directed by Carlos García Estévez

Study of *Mimo-Dynamic Mask*. Mask by Paige Allerton at MASK-3D Open Laboratory (Lecoq Lees Studio, Paris 2017)

This hands-on mask making laboratory invites participants into a dynamic exploration of abstraction in mask performance, blending visual creation with embodied theatrical expression.

INSIDE THE MASK is both a creative laboratory and a performative search into new potential theatre forms, where abstract form becomes a living, expressive force.

Through guided movement explorations, participants will analyze and embody the principles of motion, using the body as a tool to inform and inspire the construction of their own abstract masks. With simple yet versatile materials—primarily cardboard—they will experiment with the dynamics of form, structure, and color, learning techniques to design and build masks that resonate in dramatic space and evoke strong audience engagement.

By merging movement, design, and performance, INSIDE THE MASK opens a doorway to bold, imaginative storytelling and offers participants a glimpse into the evolving language of tomorrow’s theatre.

“As a young artist, I always wanted to know what was behind the mask.

Working with Donato Sartori and teaching as an associate artist at the L.E.M. (School of Jacques Lecoq), I was fascinated by the process before the mask was completed. This process requires a great deal of knowledge, practice, and cultural understanding.

Ah, those fascinating elements that appear before the mask! Balance, forces, breath, space, proportions, duration, weight. It’s a whole dimension — an ecosystem of many lives contained within an extraordinary object.

The mask catches and traps something inside us—something that comes from generations past, something calling to us from beyond this lifetime. It’s something we recognize but can’t quite place—neither when nor where it’s from—something encoded in our DNA. It goes far, far back!

Venture into new ways of seeing reality—transpose it, dive into its abstraction. Let's reach the audience in ways that make them question their existence today.

Embark on the exploration of what lies behind the mask and the natural forces that drive the essential human types.”

Carlos García Estévez, Madrid 2025

THE LABORATORY FOCUSES ON:

Understanding abstraction within the context of mask performance
Creating three-dimensional forms with minimal materials
Exploring how movement informs and enhances visual design
Discovering expressive potential in the dialogue between performer and object
Developing simple practical skills in mask construction and finishing techniques
Study of the inner structure of the mask
Improvisation
Movement technique, musicality and timing

Daily sessions will combine the constructive aspects of mask-making with movement techniques and explorations that serve as a source of creation.

Study of *Mimo-Dynamic Mask* by C.Medina Benito at MASK-3D Open Laboratory (Lecoq Lees Studio, Paris 2017)

Collage. Study *Mimo-Dynamic* Mask by A.Guirao

Collage. Study *Mimo-Dynamic* Mask by J.Ragot

This mask-making open laboratory is an opportunity for actors, dancers, performers, makers and all other theatre practitioners or scholars interested in exploring the physical and performative aspects of Mask and its impact on the dramatic space.

A journey that deals with the permanencies of perspective, three dimensionality, abstraction, transposition and composition. Through imagination, observation and experimentation, the laboratory will explore new heights with masks.