The production of Fernando Flores and the language of light: a reflective contribution to the historiography of the performing arts of Querétaro

Abstract

This article examines the contribution of set and lighting designer Fernando Flores in the history of performing arts in Querétaro. This is because historical accounts of this discipline focus primarily on traditional companies, stage directors, choreographers, actors, and dancers, thereby perpetuating a narrative that overlooks the work of creators specializing in stagecraft. These reconstructions are interpreted as symptomatic of how theatrical practice was and continues to be understood in the region, where creative teams are relegated to a secondary role or become dispensable in productions. This situation leads us to question the professional level of these productions.

It is proposed that the development of specialized creative teams is inseparable from professional practice. Flores' career demonstrates this through his sustained commitment, rigor, and excellence, as each of the companies he collaborated with significantly elevated the quality of their productions. Flores' profile is rooted in the scenography vision of modern theater and contemporary dance, but this did not prevent him from investigating the nature of space-light—his artistic medium—to engage in dialogue at technical, aesthetic, and poetic levels. Through sustained research into and experimentation with the sensory, physical, and emotional effects of the light-spatial phenomenon, this set designer opened new lines of research and creation oriented toward approaches that transcend the opposition between science and art. Ultimately, Flores developed a distinctive artistic language and methodology for expressing himself through his element in staging.