Mask and Identity: Unveiling the layers in Ritual and Tradition of the Caretos


This thesis explores the cultural and social significance of the Caretos tradition in Portugal’s Trás-os-Montes region. It follows a multidisciplinary research methodology that combines field work, audio documentation, as well as perspectives from critical and feminist theories. Through this lens, the study traces the transformation of a ritual into a spectacle and analyses how both individual and communal identities are shaped by such processes. The mask is examined as a material object but also as a symbolic interface.
2025



Master thesis:
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Publication:
New Media Design at University of Europe for Applied Sciences
Constança Torres (Coco)
Emily Smith and Martin Thiering
Berlin, July 2025