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Sua Cuique Persona : The Ambivalent Politics of Masks

2020; University of Toronto Press; Volume: 41; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3138/topia-005

1916-0194

Philippe Théophanidis,

Empathy and Medical Education

This contribution proposes to understand one specific aspect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic from a visual perspective. The ubiquitous non-medical masks expose not only the invisibility of the biological threat but also the fact that the pandemic is at once also a political issue. This essay begins with a brief examination of an enigmatic cover portrait from the 16th century attributed to Ridolfo Ghirlandaio that bears the inscription “sua cuique persona.” The painting, executed at the time when the concept of the person entered juridical vocabulary, brings to the fore the problematic articulation between face, personhood and mask. Its examination sets the stage for a different understanding of the functions of non-medical masks. On one hand, in certain circumstances, instead of negating political participation, masks enable it and make it more visible. On the other hand, they also expose and reconduct fracture lines within society. As shared immunity machines, they both bring us together and set us apart.