Falla Folly
Denia Beach Project Valencia region Spain, 19th March 2008
The timing of this project coincided with one of Valencia’s most important Fiesta’s –
The Falla – began as a festival celebrated by local artisans in honour of Saint Joseph, In the Valencian Community this festival dates back to the second half of the 18th century, originally a simple festivity to celebrate Saint Joseph’s day on 19th of March.
The Denia Fallas has evolved into a fiesta where large sculptures are made by various districts of the city, the sculptures are intend to portray a criticism of social policy, a particular topic is chosen and given a satirical or humorous twist.
The large sculptures are positioned throughout the city and during the day thousands of people will parade through the streets including the Falla groups in there traditional costumes. At midnight on the 19th March all of these large sculptures are set alight and burned to the ground which sees the close of the fiesta.
Due to the coincidental timing of the Falla celebration and that of my beach project I thought I would draw some parallels with the meaning behind Falla.
I made an early start arriving at the beach at around 6am. I found very few materials apart from numerous twigs and branches, some pieces of string and rope from fishing nets etc. and a small quantity of dead fish.
It was these materials and the suggestion from the Falla (portray a criticism of social policy) that inspired my work.
I find some of the different interpretations of European policy frustrating and one in particular is that governing the fishing industry.
Having lived for a number of years in and around the fishing communities of Newlyn, Brixham & Denia and seeing the effects the interpretation of such policies on the fishing industry, for example, size restrictions of catches and the return of large quantities of fish to the sea either due to their size or species in the UK. And in contrast Spanish ports landing any size and species with no apparent control.
I decided to construct a ‘folly’ of a fish trap – I constructed the trap in the form of a basket and mounted this on two large pieces of drift wood, I gathered some of the dead and rotting fish and placed them in the trap.
As I completed the project early in the morning there were very few people on the beach so I decided to return later in the day, on my return at approximately 2pm there was a large number of people looking at and taking pictures of the structure.
I returned again to the beach two days later after a heavy storm, all evidence of the project had gone; all that remain are my memories and pictures.
The timing of this project coincided with one of Valencia’s most important Fiesta’s –
The Falla – began as a festival celebrated by local artisans in honour of Saint Joseph, In the Valencian Community this festival dates back to the second half of the 18th century, originally a simple festivity to celebrate Saint Joseph’s day on 19th of March.
The Denia Fallas has evolved into a fiesta where large sculptures are made by various districts of the city, the sculptures are intend to portray a criticism of social policy, a particular topic is chosen and given a satirical or humorous twist.
The large sculptures are positioned throughout the city and during the day thousands of people will parade through the streets including the Falla groups in there traditional costumes. At midnight on the 19th March all of these large sculptures are set alight and burned to the ground which sees the close of the fiesta.
Due to the coincidental timing of the Falla celebration and that of my beach project I thought I would draw some parallels with the meaning behind Falla.
I made an early start arriving at the beach at around 6am. I found very few materials apart from numerous twigs and branches, some pieces of string and rope from fishing nets etc. and a small quantity of dead fish.
It was these materials and the suggestion from the Falla (portray a criticism of social policy) that inspired my work.
I find some of the different interpretations of European policy frustrating and one in particular is that governing the fishing industry.
Having lived for a number of years in and around the fishing communities of Newlyn, Brixham & Denia and seeing the effects the interpretation of such policies on the fishing industry, for example, size restrictions of catches and the return of large quantities of fish to the sea either due to their size or species in the UK. And in contrast Spanish ports landing any size and species with no apparent control.
I decided to construct a ‘folly’ of a fish trap – I constructed the trap in the form of a basket and mounted this on two large pieces of drift wood, I gathered some of the dead and rotting fish and placed them in the trap.
As I completed the project early in the morning there were very few people on the beach so I decided to return later in the day, on my return at approximately 2pm there was a large number of people looking at and taking pictures of the structure.
I returned again to the beach two days later after a heavy storm, all evidence of the project had gone; all that remain are my memories and pictures.