LGBTQ+ month: Cayetano García Sahurie explores a new visual narrative uplifting today's queer Latinx identity.
- Written byStudent Communications
- Published date 12 February 2024
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This LGBTQ+ History month we spoke with CSM graduate, Cayetano García Sahurie about his project FLOR DE LAGUNA. The collaborative body of work is a reinterpretation of the characters and events of El Escándalo de Laguna. It uses archival imagery to inform a new visual narrative that uplifts today´s queer Latinx identity.
Could you explain the details of what happened in El Escándalo de Laguna in Lima, Peru, 1959 and why this specific event resonates with you?
One January night in 1959, a carnival party took place in the popular “La Laguna” venue. The event hosted an important number of guests in a cross-dressing ball, ending in a controversial police raid following reports from outraged neighbours. Many journalists covered the incident, outing the guests to a conservative Lima society. Photographs of femme presenting individuals took over the pages of journals and framed them as a total scandal. These images and their mocking descriptions serve as one of the few records of Peruvian queer history.
I’ve always been fascinated by Latin American history, especially in the stories of queer people of the region. There is a worrying lack of historical record about our community, making it more vulnerable and excluded. I had the privilege to see these records and dive into the social intricacies of the event, thanks to the research of a very close friend and sociologist, Diego Galdo. In his work, he analyses how “El Escándalo de Laguna” showcases the complex status of the queer community in Latin America and how latent and rooted it is today. The images resonated with me instantly. Fashion was a very important element in these types of balls and in the queer expression of the party’s guests. I wanted to honour this hidden event and expand its record. I used the images as building blocks for a visual project that documents and celebrates today’s queer Latinx community in Paris and London.
With ‘FLOR DE LAGUNA’ connecting to a historical event, how did you approach blending the past with the present as you worked on your project?
When planning ‘FLOR DE LAGUNA', I knew it had to be a contemporary body of images. We worked every picture as a scene. We took inspiration from the images and the newspapers’ descriptions that illustrated the events of the scandal. “The coronation of the queen” or “The masked attendee” were some of these scenes which were reinterpreted in an editorial way. The casting was also a very important part of the project. It was necessary to showcase the present-day faces of the queer Latinx community and feature the work of current Latinx designers and creatives. Even though we were all inspired by an event of the past, ‘FLOR DE LAGUNA’ serves as a documentation of how we look today and what our community’s stories are now.
What do you hope viewers take away from your project, which highlights the persisting inequality faced by the migrant LGBTQ+ community today?
This project invites the viewers to celebrate the migrant Latinx experience and to appreciate a slice of our continent’s talent through fashion imagery. Having the chance to let a wider audience know about our history and our present has been an absolute honour. I hope that it has sparked a conversation between the members of our community about the inequalities of the past, how similar they are in the present-day and how our underrepresented stories can be told on a bigger stage.
Your project set out to “document and celebrate the diaspora of the queer Latinx community in Paris and London” - what is it that interests you in the intersectionality between being queer and also Latinx?
I find Latin American cultural depictions of queerness very interesting. The role of colonialism, religion and the collective imagination, makes these portrayals a rich source to analyse in terms of intersectionality. As a white queer Latinx with the privileges I have because of my identity., I believe it is of my interest to showcase how diverse the Latinx queer identity can be. At the same time, find those cultural elements that make it a shared experience.
Beyond the subject matter, ‘FLOR DE LAGUNA’ is described as a collaborative effort consisting of fellow Latin American designers, photographers, and creatives. How did you ensure a cohesive and unified visual language throughout the project?
As the art director of the project, that was a challenge on its own. However, it allowed me to collaborate with amazingly talented creatives from different backgrounds and experiences. From the make-up artists to the models, our interest in the event unified our work. I made sure everyone taking part had the chance to take inspiration from the records from “El Escándalo de Laguna” and share other historical references that would help build this body of work. As celebratory as ‘FLOR DE LAGUNA’ is, vibrant colours, diverse casting, a dose of surrealism and the presence of organic elements helped with the cohesion.
Lastly, is there an LGBTQ+ figure who has inspired you throughout your creative journey?
The Peruvian visionary artist Giuseppe Campuzzano has been a very important reference and motivation throughout my work as a creative. Their multidisciplinary approach to queer beauty and their resourceful portrayal of travestismo in South America is impressive and inspirational. One of their most notable pieces was a group of collages that criticised the media’s depiction of queer individuals in Peru, using archival imagery and text.
Find out more about our LGBTQ+ history month interviews:
Read our interview with LCC graduate Kevin Streicher
Learn more about the 'power of collaborative art' with Caroline Glover