Danko Lara

DASTRA 80x60 cm Digital Collage 2017

PHALAZEA 80x60 cm Digital Collage 2017

Joaquin Garcia spent 24 years as an FBI undercover agent in over 100 undercover operations. The secret of his successful disguise was his weight, which fluctuated from 200 to 225 kilograms (500 pounds). He infiltrated Italian Mafia, Colombian and Mexican drug Cartels and Asian and Russian criminal groups. „The fatter I got, the better undecover agent I became“ Garcia said. In criminal circles, where paranoia ran high, a heavy-set man did not fit an image of a federal agent. Garcia recorded thousand of hours of conversations, many of which involved food. „In mob culture, everything is surrounded around eating – meetings, dispute, arrangements“.  The food centric culture reminded him of his Cuban heritage – „I love to eat, so to me it was perfect“ he said „I didn’t have to act“.