Malaga Festival renders a double tribute to Ocaña and Ventura Pons
The event, organised by the Torremolinos City Council, was moderated by Pink Chadora.
Last year was the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the creators who established the plastic arts of the movement of the 80s, a key figure in Barcelona's counterculture along with Nazario Luque, the Sevillian José Pérez Ocaña, known as Ocaña. This Wednesday, the Malaga Festival in collaboration with the Torremolinos City Council wanted to pay a warm tribute to him with the screening of 'Ocaña, retrato intermitente'.
The Festival also used the occasion to pay tribute to the filmmaker Ventura Pons, who passed away a few months ago. The event, which took place at the Centro Cultural María Victoria Atienza, was attended by the director of the Festival, Juan Antonio Vigar; the mayoress of Torremolinos, Marga del Cid; the councillor for equality of Torremolinos, Francisco García; the producer Enrique López Lavigne; the writer Carlos Barea, and the Drag Queen Pink Chadora, who moderated the discussion.
Ocaña was not only one of the pioneers in defending the LGTBIQ+ movement, but also, with his creations, which ranged from paintings to performances, including costume designs. He managed to break with a whole genealogy of gender that reduced the rights and visibility of the collective.
'The figure of Ocaña would not be possible today', began Barea. ‘He was unique, and now there are many labels. Despite being a member of the collective, he did not identify with anything or anyone, he was a free and pure soul', he recalled.
Although Ocaña is a figure who has been talked about, written about and is still present as an LGTBQ reference, 'there is very little information about his life', complained the speakers. And, although he has been honoured in two of the editions of Drag Race España, both by Marina and Pakita, Barea points out that 'if the young audience wants to know something about his life, it will be very difficult for them'.
He is a figure that has been studied and paid attention to, it is the institution that has rescued him thanks to queer theory and LGTBQ studies. 'As a street character, who did many things, a historian of Las Ramblas and Andalusian, he is very diffuse', comments the writer.
Meanwhile, producer Enrique Lavigne pointed out that he has been a character who has also influenced current filmmakers, such as Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi. 'I know that they have learned a lot from his concept and his way of being to get several projects off the ground. The transgression he made in his time has made them and many directors break down some barriers now', he pointed out.
Both speakers also pointed out that Ocaña was a 'total creator', who not only represented counter-power and counter-culture, but also did whatever he wanted. 'He went against everything and everyone'.
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