Why were masked balls so popular in the Baroque era?
In aristocratically dominated societies, masked balls were a popular occasion for the nobility to suspend the ruling order for a short while. Under the protection of the mask, anyone could approach anyone, crossing not only class but also gender barriers.
The masked balls of the "Sun King" Louis XIV in Versailles were legendary. His granddaughter-in-law Marie Antoinette was so enthusiastic about the freedom behind the mask that she did not want to give up her second face outside of the masked balls.
This "freedom" behind the mask is also a theme at Masquerade: does it make us more courageous, make our ego feel freer, or is it etiquette and the imposed constraint of a social role? We want to celebrate our festival visitors' own encounter with the mask as well as with other masked beings. Dance, dance, dance, for the night ends....