“Máscaras Sensoriais,” created by the renowned artist Lygia Clark in 1967, belongs to the Conceptual Art movement and falls under the genre of performance art. This groundbreaking work explores the boundaries of sensory perception and audience interaction, hallmarks of Clark’s innovative artistic practice during the late 1960s.
The artwork displays a group of individuals wearing unusual, sensory masks that envelop their entire heads. Each mask appears specifically designed to alter and obscure the wearer’s senses, enhancing their tactile experiences through a variety of textures and materials. The masks, with their distinctively perforated and protruding features, dominate the scene with a palpable sense of intrigue and other-worldliness. The artist’s intention is clearly evident in her desire to create a participatory and immersive experience, challenging traditional notions of art by engaging directly with the viewer’s sensory and corporeal existence.