This is the start of the Falla Borrull – Socors festival, winning first prize in the Experimental Falla 2022 for its piece “L’in100ndi”, created by Miguel Hache, a work celebrating the hundred years of the falla.
The structure of this monument is a tower of matches which accompanies the children’s falla, where through fire and flames, the committee reflects on human emotions, feelings and perceptions under the slogan “my heart is burning”.
Additionally, sustainability is another of the issues addressed by some of the fallas this year, notably that of the Plaça de l’Ajuntament, by artists Dulk and Alejando Santaeulalia, a 22 metre tall homage to endangered species.
“These fallas are also notable for being open to the community and the committee. They are much more participative during the year, with creative workshops which work on the final piece. They are also open to society, as many of them try to interact with the public, encouraging them to participate. They pose questions, tell stories, seek a way to make an impact on the people who see them, and they are not made just to be looked at,” explains Ruiz.
The inclusion of female fallas artists is also notable. “A larger proportion of women are making fallas for the experimental festival than for the traditional festival. Anna Ruiz, Julia Navarro, Reyes Pe, Maria Oliver and Marina Puche are examples of women who are doing very interesting things in the world of the fallas, and are pioneers in the history of the Valencian festival,” says Miguel Arraiz, fallas artist and one of the Valencian people who took a falla to Burning Man in the USA.