Maska invitation letter
Dear ...
. In 2006, the 100th issue of Maska performing arts journal will be published. Maska was founded in 1920 and was, in its formative period, published for only one year. The journal was again issued in 1985 and has continued with its publications since then; for the last seven years, it has been issued three times a year as a double issue.
.. In all its existing periods Maska was not only a companion, a chronicler and a documentarist of performing events but an influential co-creator of them as well. A critical stance, the introduction of novel themes and different approaches, which is what Maska pursues, have always been considered to open up the opportunities of performing and wider artistic creativity, which is always responsibly and inextricably intertwined with time and space. Reflection is never understood as a mere glance into the past nor as a reserved look from aside. Theory and reflection are part of creative critical practise, and precisely their critical stance, strict terminology and unyielding argumentation may open up new possibilities for thought and artistic attitude.
... The 100th issue of Maska will be dedicated to the analysis of the current situation of contemporary performing arts in Slovenia, and will also include contributions of Slovenian and foreign experts.
.... Along with the 100th issue of Maska, we are preparing the publication of the 200th issue which will, if this pace be kept, come out in 2023. The 200th issue will include contributions from artists who were covered by Maska from 2000 to 2005. The idea of this particular publication is to conceive a reader, a catalogue, a venue, a virtual festival of projects as the artists would imagine them for the year 2023.
Editors and writers from several of the most prominent international magazines from the field of performing arts will be invited to reflect on the contributions also from the perspective of the year 2023, which will yield to addressing the future of performing arts and art in general in the most direct of ways.
..... Since you are among the authors Maska has written about in the last five years, you are kindly invited to participate in the 200th issue with the project as you would conceive it in the year 2023. It can be presented in written or graphic form, as a music or video recording, or in any other form.
...... The 200th issue will be published in September 2006 in the form of a CD-rom with contributions as a supplement to Maska's 100th issue. The printed version will see the light of day in 2023.
....... At the same time contributions will be exhibited at Moderna galerija, Ljubljana (Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana) at the exhibition 2023+, which will, besides contributions for the 200th issue of Maska, include works focused on the future from the museum's international collection 2000+.
........ Please send us your contribution by May 15th 2006 at the latest. As already mentioned, you are free to choose the medium that you find most suitable. Let us stress again that our interest is in the ideas to be realized in 17 years thus we do not ask for projects already developed but projections about what your work might be in year 2023, when you are seventeen years older.
......... Due to the exceptionally demanding logistics, high preparation and production costs and limited funding available, a fee for your contribution, unfortunately, cannot be paid according to merit. Therefore, we offer you 5 copies of the 200th issue as well as this year's Maska issues. At the same time you are more than welcome at all the events taking place on the occasion of Maska's 100th issue due to happen in September 2006 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
.......... We hope that you will accept our invitation and join us in this adventure. With regards,
Emil Hrvatin
Maska's Editor in chief