.ART Presents MASK — A Portal Between Identities, an Augmented Reality Exhibition at ICANN87 in Bali

Mask.art Exhibition at ICANN87 Bali

www.art.art

WASHINGTON, DC, DC, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- .ART Registry, operator of the digital address for the global arts and culture community, is proud to present MASK — A Portal Between Identities, an Augmented Reality exhibition taking place during ICANN87 in Bali, Indonesia, from October 17–22, 2026. Bringing together five international artists, the exhibition explores the mask as a powerful symbol of transformation, identity, and connection, inviting audiences to experience art in an entirely new way by virtually wearing digital masks through Augmented Reality.

Following the success of Between Nature and Code, .ART's Augmented Reality exhibition presented during ICANN84 in Dublin in 2025, MASK — A Portal Between Identities takes the experience a step further. While the previous exhibition invited visitors to discover digital artworks through their smartphones, this year's edition introduces a more personal and interactive dimension, allowing attendees to virtually wear the masks themselves and become active participants in the experience.

“ICANN meetings bring together people from around the world who are shaping the future of the internet. At .ART, we believe that art and creativity have an important role to play in that conversation,” said Ulvi Kasimov, Founder and CEO of .ART Registry. “By bringing Bali's cultural traditions into dialogue with digital technology, we hope to demonstrate how innovation in art can create new forms of connection and expression across cultures.”

Inspired by Bali's rich cultural heritage, where masks have long played an essential role in performance, ceremony, storytelling, and spiritual practice, MASK — A Portal Between Identities explores how this ancient artistic form can acquire new meanings in the digital age. Across cultures and throughout history, masks have served as instruments of transformation, allowing their wearers to conceal or reveal identities, embody mythical beings, preserve collective memories, and move between different states of existence. The exhibition brings these traditions into dialogue with contemporary technology, examining how digital environments can open new possibilities for self-expression and connection.

Unlike conventional exhibitions, where artworks are experienced as objects to be observed, MASK — A Portal Between Identities invites visitors to become part of the artworks themselves. By scanning a QR code with their smartphones and activating the camera, attendees can virtually try on each of the five masks in real time, watching as digital forms merge with their own faces and movements. Visitors can also capture photographs and videos of their transformations, extending the experience beyond the exhibition space.

Selected through an international open call on Hug.art, the five participating artists, Yuliya (YO_DESi) Ovcharyk, Özlem Mehder, LMDesigns8, João Peixinho and Claudia Tong, bring distinct cultural perspectives, personal narratives, and artistic approaches to the concept of the mask. Their works draw on mythology, ritual, memory, imagined worlds, and contemporary digital identities, exploring the boundaries between the physical and virtual, the familiar and the unknown.

Through this immersive encounter, the exhibition raises questions about the identities we inhabit and the ways technology shapes our understanding of ourselves and others. What happens when we put on a mask? Does it conceal who we are, or allow another identity to emerge? And how might ancient rituals and cultural symbols find new expressions in an increasingly digital world?

Curated and presented by .ART during ICANN87 and powered by the augmented reality platform Illust., MASK — A Portal Between Identities celebrates the intersection of art, culture, and technology. Learn more about the exhibition and participating artists at www.mask.art

ABOUT ILLUST.
Founded by Rob McCarty and Tim Prochak, illust. is an augmented reality platform that enables artists to place digital artworks at real-world coordinates, creating location-based experiences that can be encountered in physical space. Its tools include the Illust. AR Studio and Memoria, a companion app that anchors works on-chain through the GeoSpatial Registry.

ABOUT .ART REGISTRY
Launched in 2016 through an exclusive agreement with UK Creative Ideas Ltd and ICANN, .ART began as a pioneering domain registry and is evolving its mission to become the definitive digital archive for all art and cultural objects. With over 700,000 domains registered in 170+ countries, .ART serves a diverse community of creatives, artists, museums, businesses, and brands passionate about the arts.

Setting the standard for digital identity in the art world, .ART offers cutting-edge registry infrastructure built on the reliability and stability of current internet technologies while also leveraging Web3 and blockchain innovations. Utilizing its patented “Digital Twin” process, the new ID.art platform offers credentialing and a suite of services that empower creatives to digitize, promote, and monetize any object, whether physical or digital. ID.art and the acquisition of HUG in late 2024 establish .ART Registry as a leading online gallery for artistic talent.

Operating from international offices in London, Beijing, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C., and supported by a robust network of global Ambassadors, .ART is steadfast in its commitment to merge technology and art on a global scale. A portion of .ART's revenue actively supports philanthropic initiatives, including the Healing Power of Art Initiative, to promote the therapeutic benefits of art. Learn more at www.art.art.

Register .ART domains at www.get.art or through domain registrars such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, WordPress, and others.

Daria Kravchuk
.ART Registry
media@art.art
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