Performance, masquerade, dance, and music have played a significant role in African cultural expression for centuries. These art forms serve as a means of communication and storytelling, as well as a source of social and political commentary.

This exhibition examines the ways in which performance, masquerade, dance, and music are used to express the beliefs, values, and experiences of people living in areas such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and the Ivory Coast. The exhibition encompasses masquerade and musical objects from the Azande, Baga, Bamana, Bauole, Bembe, Bete, Biombo, Boa, Bwa, Chokwe, Dan, Grebo, Kete, Kumu, Lega, Lese, Lokele, Luba, Lwena, Mbuti, Songye, Tabwa, and Yaka.

The exhibition therefore presents a wide range of objects that showcase the enormous cultural diversity of these regions within the continent of Africa. Organized around key themes related to masquerade and music, it does not attempt to offer a survey of African art within these areas. Rather, Instrumental Avatars presents ongoing work to better contextualize the objects in this collection, and introduces students and viewers to key historical and contemporary debates surrounding the exhibition of African masks.