Temporada de fallas
Europe, Spain, Valencia, Buildings, Fallera, Ninots, People (uncut)
In Valencia, the Fallas season has started again Like shown here in 2018. The ninot sculpture-groups are being placed and every day there are fireworks.
The Fallera has pagan origins (celebrating the beginning of spring). Later, wood shavings became giant sculptures (ninots) and were used to portray the ’shame of the neighbourhood in the early years of the Fallera. They now portray ’the shame of the media’ - dignitaries and/or figures of authority are ridiculed. Fairy tale characters and ones from the gaming world are used to contextualize. The end of the festival is the ‘crema’ - where the ninots are burned. It signifies the burning of memories or incidents that collectively must be forgotten.
The festival was banned during the Civil War. And it’s back in full force for decades now and is still satirical, sometimes sexist, and now also reflects global events and popular mass culture. Behind the production of the ninots are large community groups (every Valencian quarter has a few - the two people in interaction, clad in grey and right in front of the sculpture group are members). After the placement and the arranging of the ninots (cranes are often involved) sometimes the last phase of production is handled on-site - the actual painting of the ninots.
This is number 37 of the Valencia! album.
Temporada de fallas
Europe, Spain, Valencia, Buildings, Fallera, Ninots, People (uncut)
In Valencia, the Fallas season has started again Like shown here in 2018. The ninot sculpture-groups are being placed and every day there are fireworks.
The Fallera has pagan origins (celebrating the beginning of spring). Later, wood shavings became giant sculptures (ninots) and were used to portray the ’shame of the neighbourhood in the early years of the Fallera. They now portray ’the shame of the media’ - dignitaries and/or figures of authority are ridiculed. Fairy tale characters and ones from the gaming world are used to contextualize. The end of the festival is the ‘crema’ - where the ninots are burned. It signifies the burning of memories or incidents that collectively must be forgotten.
The festival was banned during the Civil War. And it’s back in full force for decades now and is still satirical, sometimes sexist, and now also reflects global events and popular mass culture. Behind the production of the ninots are large community groups (every Valencian quarter has a few - the two people in interaction, clad in grey and right in front of the sculpture group are members). After the placement and the arranging of the ninots (cranes are often involved) sometimes the last phase of production is handled on-site - the actual painting of the ninots.
This is number 37 of the Valencia! album.