Lotería: La Suerte Que Habla (Luck Talks) is a game and exhibition inspired by the traditional Mexican game of La Lotería Mexicana. A game similar to bingo, but played with a deck of cards instead of numbers. Each card bears an image that evokes a popular Mexican event, artifact, individual, or other cultural symbol. Lotería: La Suerte Que Habla (Luck Talks) features entirely new images that represents my views of my native land; they celebrate and denounce the current social, political and cultural state of Mexico.
The original cards are 18”x 24” and the majority are acrylic, watercolors and ink on paper. The cards are accompanied by original coplas written by Toronto-based Mexican-Canadian writer Martha Bátiz. In the traditional game, a “cantador” or singer would read out loud the aphorisms or riddles accompanying each card. Once completed, the paintings are digitalized and prepared for the printed game. Each card on the game has its copla printed on the back (in Spanish and English) so it can be “sung” just like it was done in the old times while playing the game.
Lotería: Luck Talks is an artistic representation of the Mexico both Martha and I were born and raised in, as well as the Mexico we now watch from a distance.
To learn more about this collaboration project please visit our dedicated website at:
www.laloteriaopina.com
or follow us in Facebook or Instagram at @LaLoteriaOpina.
