Performance in the framework of the Galerias B project by LOT-Peru.
Galerias Boza. Lima, August 2001
Galerías Boza, an old modern shop arcade built middle of the XX Century in downtown Lima, hosting the first electric staircase, is the site-specific place where to research into heritage, memory in interdisciplinary ways. More than 20 artist took the arcade spaces for art interventions, mixing installation, performance, spaces of use, videoconference with an external location, among other experiences related with the existing shops and their workers.
Taking care on the male gay cruising traditions from the 1960´s downtown Lima, a traditional coffee shop is a place where mature men look for hustlers and potential hook ups. Located in the shop arcade, the corridor is the catwalk where to establish eye-contact.
The performance looks for a live research on the Lima male prostitution market. Using a telephone line connected with an sound amplification system, the live talks were able to be heard in the main arcade corridor. The durational performance took around 3 hours, in which phone calls were done to the mobile telephones given by the hustlers according to their printed ads in the traditional “El Comercio” newspaper.
The talk was oriented to know more into details on the sexual services offered, as well on the potential kinky and fetish abilities for a more rigorous demand. Understanding that in the year 2000 public debates on gay sexuality were non-existing in Lima, the performance placed the topic, relating the aside San Martin Square, where -until now- male sex workers combined with other who mix hustlering and criminality takes place.
DOCUMENTATION
Video by Roger Atasi on Galerias B
Appearances in the video: 01:42 – 01:44, 01:49 – 01:53 and 05:23 – 05:25.
TEXT:
LINK to WEB: Galerias B – Desertificación Urbana / B Galleries – Urban desertification
LINK to PDF: Galerias B – Desertificación Urbana / B Galleries – Urban desertification