Lotería in the Age of COVID-19: A Social Semiotic Analysis of Two Artistic Visions

The purpose of this project was to compare two different COVID-19 Mexican lotería versions by Mexican-American artists Ernesto Quiñonez Curiel and Pinche Raf. Their work was inspired by the most popular traditional lotería set Don Clemente Gallo, created by Don Clemente Jacques in 1913. Social semiotics was employed in the analysis of the images and text in the two COVID-19 artistic renderings with the objective of discovering the similarities and differences between the artists’ works, and the messages they sought to convey. The analysis also attempted to uncover how the artists expressed their Mexican-American identity and connected with their audience. The results reveal the use of English and Spanish in both works, and a focus on the medical and social aspects of the pandemic and mandatory quarantine. Additionally, both lotería sets incorporated linguistic and cultural elements connected to the artists’ Mexican-American heritage. The works differ in the way in which they were organized, the use of Spanish and English, and the medical and social topics included. The overall analysis shows that, through a variety of semiotic resources, both artists were able to reflect the different emotions brought about by the COVID-19 situation and to establish a connection with Mexican-American audiences.