In Lottery (Spanish: Lotería), Guatemalan photographer Luis González Palma explores the complex intersections of cultural identity, colonial history, and visual symbolism through meticulously staged portraits created between 1988 and 1992. Rooted deeply in the historical and cultural context of Guatemala, Palma draws upon the traditional game "Lotería", introduced by Spanish colonizers as a tool for language education and ideological domination. Through this project, he reinterprets the symbolic associations originally embedded within the game's icons, crafting a dialogue around power, memory, and cultural imposition.
Lottery was created during a time when Guatemala was emerging from decades of civil conflict marked by military dictatorships, human rights abuses, and deep-rooted inequalities, especially affecting indigenous populations. Palma deliberately engages with these narratives, posing indigenous and mestizo subjects with emblematic props such as crowns, masks, religious symbols, and folkloric artifacts. Juxtaposed with precision, these props reflect the layered nature of Guatemalan identity forged through centuries of cultural convergence and colonial dominance.
Artistically, Palma adopts a distinctive method that begins with black-and-white photography chemically toned to sepia. He then manually applies bitumen, petroleum varnish, and gold leaf across most of the image surface, leaving small, symbolic details—such as eyes or objects—unpainted to emphasize their metaphorical significance.
Exhibited at key venues—including Rencontres d’Arles (1991) and FotoFest, Houston (1992)—Lottery helped launch González Palma’s international profile. Subsequent presentations at institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago and the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), along with its inclusion in the touring retrospective Constelaciones de lo intangible (e.g., Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Madrid; CGAC; Centro Andaluz de la Fotografía), consolidated the series’ standing within contemporary Latin American photography.
