The Lotería Remix
Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance similar to Bingo where illustrated images and the riddles that accompany them are randomly selected from a deck of cards and called out to players of the game. The approach of the host when announcing the chosen image often depends on the context in which the game is being played. However, to provide social commentary and political satire while doing so is said to be popular practice. With the recreation of the same symbols, The Lotería Remix follows suit in highlighting on-going issues, such as the racial and sexual representation of women in mainstream media, with each image carrying a deeper meaning than what first meets the eye. The familiar Lotería iconography is transformed with the contemporary and minimal hand-cut collage with the remix or twist applying to the style of the well known images themselves as well as the way in which the models on each card are represented. A keen eye is required to spot the visual statements made. Select pieces are presented alongside the traditional Lotería poems as to provide further clue of what The Lotería Remix protests. This series intends to show due appreciation (over cultural appropriation) and has aimed to achieve this through extensive research and the above description which acknowledges the origins and what is hoped to be an accurate history of this game.
Submitted by Asma Istwani.