This series depicts Lotería cards, a Mexican bingo-like game, stemming from the popular Tarot game that has pervaded most parts of the world since the early 15th century. The imagery...
This series depicts Lotería cards, a Mexican bingo-like game, stemming from the popular Tarot game that has pervaded most parts of the world since the early 15th century. The imagery feels recognizable due to varying cultures creating their own renditions of the game. Its early beginnings are rooted in Italian history with a traditional deck of cards adjoining “face cards” having specific actions for each - as a predominantly gambling game, the Church set out to create a less heretic version therefore spawning the “cards of divination” that allude to what most people know as modern day Tarot.
Through historical diaspora, the people of Mexico also adopted their own version of the infamous game: with the cards being used as the “call numbers” found on differing “tablas” held by each player - quite similar to bingo. Lotería in Spanish translates to lottery meaning it is a game of chance/luck.
With this context in mind, the body of work boasts objects that are not so easily earned. The juxtaposition of a lottery versus the monetary success needed to acquire such high-end assets is prevalent throughout the series. In essence, you don’t accept the fate of luck, but instead make your own - you take the lot.