- DANA ‘Gota Fria’ damages effigies ahead of Valencia Fallas
By Andrew Atkinson
The DANA ‘Gota Fria’ that hit Valencia damaged some of the effigies ahead of the annual 2021 Fallas in the city on September 5.
The Board asked jurors for understanding when scoring failures after the storm.
President of the Central Fallera Board and Councillor for Festive Culture, Carlos Galiana asked jurors to take in the circumstances, due to effigies suffering damages.
“We have asked the jurors for the maximum understanding and empathy with the circumstances that we have lived.
“When they go out to assess them, that they take into account what happened, due to the rains.
“Llike many of you, some of us have not attracted attention by looking at the sky – but waking up after a little more than two hours in bed and seeing some falls planted.
“With my watery eyes, proud of the Fallas collective that is capable of so many things.
“The award is not even the most important this year. But if the rain has not stopped you, we will be by your side and if we have to get wet, we get wet.
“All my love and respect to the commissions that have fallen or suffered serious damage, both in Valencia and in other towns.
“This too will pass. Of course it will. The force falls and falls. Long live the Falles festival !!!”.
The senior teacher of the Fallero Artists Guild, Paco Pellicer, indicated that it seems bad that Junta Central Fallera had not consulted with the artists, to find out what the situation was and whether or not it was worth moving forward.
Pellicer said with the storm there were moments of ‘tension and danger’ in the commissions.
“Even when raining there were commissions trying to repair the faults and I think we have not been successful.
“If it rains we can wait for it to dry and assess, because having the award today or having the award the day after tomorrow does not influence at all,” he said.
“It is not a race of 100 metres that the first to arrive is the undoubted winner, here many intervene nuances and of course what is going to be valued?
“If it is more or less wet or if it has been held whole? It does not make much sense,” said Pellicer.
Pellicer added: “In the end everything has to continue – because the show cannot stop.”
