Fallas Valencia 2023 - Falla Sueca-Azorín

Artist: Santaeulalia tematización.

Prize: 5th Special Section.
3rd of talent and grace.

Cost: 140.000 Euros.

"Did you know that in the Chinese language the same word is used to say crisis as to say opportunity? And it is that a crisis always brings with it an opportunity to change and improve.
Social and economic problems are plunging the Fallas into a deep crisis. But nothing is as worrying as the detachment that is invading a large part of the Fallas collective towards the one that gives name and meaning to our party, LA FALLA, turning it into something secondary, a mere excuse.

An involuntary wish, uttered in the magical place where dreams come true (the fallero workshop), will radically change the future of Valencia and the fallas. The falleros will have to choose their destiny and face the Maneki-Neko, the Sessho-seki stone, Namazus, Kappas, Kois, Totems."

"Josep, desperate, scolds his family. He can't believe that they won't even go in to see the falla:
-behave! all day with your phone and taking photos, you look Chinese!
-What future awaits us? where are we going?, my god! cries desperately."

"The child president, Luke, and his parents Tere and Pere, stand outside the shop looking at their phones.
Inside the workshop there is no coverage and it is also all rough and corked, so you can't take selfies to show off either."

The magic of fallas
"Be careful what you wish for because it may come true!
Josep inadvertently pronounces his involuntary wishes in the most magical place in the world: the fallero workshop (place where dreams and illusions are shaped).
Moved by his desperation, the ninot of a genius comes to life by magic (that of the fallas) and makes Josep's request come true! "

"Wish granted!
The genius takes Josep literally and transforms the falleros who have visited the workshop into...
--an exemplary, traditional Asian family, full of love, peace and away from cell phones!"

The crsis of fallas artists
"The fallero artist profession is dying! In recent years, more than a hundred workshops have closed and many professionals have sought accommodation in other professions.
If we don't do anything to avoid it, in a few years the commissions themselves will have to make a falla because the artists will have become extinct.
Let's not ignore the SOS they are sending us or we will regret it."

"Pepico Flama, desperate to sign, presents in April a draft of a special section to the Falla Crisis-Avenue of Oportunity for... 2,000 euros.
Fifteen days before the set up, the `falla has not yet begun. With what they pay him, he doesn't even have enough to buy the material."

Fallero in oriental culture: Koi fish
"Symbol of constancy and perseverance, represents the falleros: nothing against the current fighting against all obstacles and the force of the sea.
Your only goal is to get through the waterfall (setting up fallas).
When they do, they turn into powerful dragons."

The commissions in oriental culture: tótem fish
"This fish represents the Fallas commissions, since it is capable of seeing clearly in troubled waters (bureaucratic, social, economic, neighborhood problems) and finding the right path to survive.
He ends up overcoming all adversities and finding crystalline waters in which to live."

Koi fish

Tótem fish

Political and neighborhood misunderstanding: Namazu
"Fish that, with its movements, causes earthquakes and disasters in the fallas.
In his possession he has the stone 'Sessho-seki', (known as the fallero proclamation).
If it breaks it can trigger an infinity of misfortunes."

Bureaucracy and permits: Kappas
"Because of their slowness, they take the form of turtles.
They sow chaos and despair in the fallas, especially in the presidents and board of directors that is in charge of the 'paperwork'."

Where do we go?
"The genius also makes a very free interpretation of 'what future awaits us? Asia where are we going?', making a time jump and turning Valencia into a city dominated by oriental culture. The future is already here.
Josep, what have you done! From February 26, 2023 we have moved to March 16, 2053! Fear gives us what we will find. Will it be better or worse than what we have now?"

Oportunity
"After the granting of Josep's 'wishes', Valencia and Las Fallas are in front of a new opportunity.
This time jump may be the perfect moment to restart the party and return to the origins, to the essence that led to it being declared an intangible heritage of humanity.
Will this 'crisisunity' have taken advantage of or will the failures have gotten even worse?"

"Every time the police see a fallero, they end up with the paper reserves of the fines. And if it is the president of the commission: jackpot!
And there is no shortage of neighbors who take advantage of the situation and blame the falleros for what they (or their dogs) do."

"In 2053, the requirements for firing fireworks are so exaggerated that no one can. The Falla of Crisisunity square hires the only one capable of inventing gunpowder: Peter Lim Jr.
His family history backs him up: his grandpa blew up Valencia CF into a thousand pieces. And no fireworks!

" Falla of Crisistunity, with a lot of effort, has bought the robot Pedro Santaeulalia R2D2C3PO.
What they didn't know is that they had to treat him like a king, give him three meals a day and an open bar!
It will all be worth it if he manages to win the first prize (even if it's talent and grace), otherwise, ... it will be ruin! "

"In 2053 there is no fallero artist left, many years ago the profession became extinct.
Now it is the robots that make the fallas. The most famous models are: the Pedro Santaeulalia R2D2C3PO, the Pere Baenas Epic Touch, the Paco Torres Giga Max, the Llongo Pacolopeciano Pitiminí or the Pepet Totperlaire Made in Borriana."

"Grandpa takes an injured 'bird' to the doctor. To see if he can cure him and take away his disease.
He gives him some pills to end the pain and thus, the 'man's bird' begins the 'flight' again."

"The falla that you see here never goes out of style, and that is that nothing changes, in this world of harness.
Times change, the artist wants to innovate, but since nothing evolves, the same thing, he has to make."

"They no longer know what to do with the car you move, and we will end up leaving it parked in the 'eggs'.
While the city is filled with many colors, all full of beautiful stripes, which the councilors paint."

"In 2053 there is something that has not changed: the Fallera Mayor awaits the jury with some llibrets bigger than 'Don Quixote'.
The poor fallera has prepared conscientiously for this moment: daily gymnastics and practices in weight lifting and resistance.
Will she be able to hold out for the time necessary to deliver the llibrets or will she fall on her face in front of the jury?."

" Falla of Crisistunity has bought many lottery tickets in the jury draw because they want to try to win a good prize.
Unfortunately for them, the selected jury comes from another galaxy (in short: they don't know them). His joy in a well..."

The hook!
"Tired of the complaints of the commissions with the juries, the Fallera Central Board entrusts the Fallera Local Board of Saturn to bring the people who believe they are better prepared to judge the fallas.
To select them, he opts for an infallible method: the hook!"

"In the year 2053, the falla has become a gastronomic club.
The falleros have a very tight schedule of food and drinks, linking up with each other. And nobody loses it!
However, for parades and prize collections, only 4 dress up... and the band."

"In 2053 the offering has become a race against time.
It is more important to meet the scheduled times that people can enjoy a unique and emotional moment (really, now that I think about it, 2023 was not so different)."

The offering "The grandfather, who had run so fast in his life, arrives disoriented at the Plaza de la Virgen and makes a blunder!
When he is about to give his grandson a bottle, he finds that he has a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
So what has he released...? It just can't be...."

Crisis... "When the ninot of genius granted Josep his wishes, the Fallas saw a new crisis: that of facing a temporary leap in a city dominated by oriental culture.
After visiting the faults of 2053, do you think this 'crisisunity' has been taken advantage of??
Bureaucratic problems, neighborhood incomprehension, presidents treated as criminals, extinct fallas artists, 'Martian' jurors, fallas concerned mainly with eating and drinking, counter-clock offerings, families ruined just for appearing...."

...Tunity "You don't like what you see, do you?
It is the same as in 2023 but accentuated and in a futuristic format.
We don't need any magic genius to solve all these problems: they depend exclusively on us.
It is in our hands to safeguard the essence of the Fallas, to value what is truly important, to recover the illusion, to transmit to future generations our love for the Falla and for the Fallas."

Artist: Santaeulalia tematización.

Prize: 5th Special Section. 3rd of talent and grace.

Cost: 140.000 Euros.

Prize: 5th Special Section.
3rd of talent and grace.