The Valencian Museum of Ethnology or L’ETNO in the Centre Cultural la Beneficència, was established in 1982 to collect, study and disseminate items, information and exhibitions related to popular and traditional Valencian culture. As a museum of Valencian popular culture, L’ETNO proposes universal reflections based on local (Valencian) cultural traits. The museum has a social and educational vocation, with an aim of preserving cultural memory, customs and traditions, while reflecting on and confronting these elements of Valencia’s past and teaching all who care to learn about Valencia’s rich and diverse history. If you are one of these people then L’ETNO has a packed schedule over the next few months. Read on to find out more.

EXHIBITIONS

Espill de Festa. El Corpus – Ends on 13th November 2022:

The exhibition is made up of objects of attribution, clothing, images and audiovisuals from which to analyse the material culture generated by the feast of Corpus Christi. This exhibition aims to explain the ritual and cultural importance of what was the most important festival in the Valencian territory (Corpus) and to highlight the Insa collection of traditional clothing owned by the Diputació de Valencia.  These items are exhibited in dialogue with others who are part of a staged party in different towns of the Valencian community. This display highlights how the link between the festival and the Insa material articulated the ritual imagery of many of Valencia’s festivals Corpus  the aim is to:

Between October 2 and November 13 there will be guided tours on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. by the curators of the exhibition.

https://letno.dival.es/ca/exposicion/exposicio-temporal/espill-de-festa-el-corpus

Mudances (Migrations) – Ends on 29th January 2023

Mudances is a project promoted by the Vicent Ventura Adult Training Center in collaboration with photographer Lidia Jaramillo in 2021. The project has used the Photovoice technique along with live interviews and workshops with the intention of giving voice to immigrant students Their story is centred around three pivotal moments; origin, crossing and arrival. Through this project, L’ETNO intends to continue with its task of spreading and reflecting on the plurality and diversity of Valencian society, and in particular the situation and experience of the migrant people who live in the city and its environs. This exhibition is accompanied by human libraries on 19th november 2022 from 11:00h to 13:00h: https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/biblioteques-humanes

This exhibition offers Workshops with guided tours for schools and associations. For more information contact: didactica.etnologia@dival.es. There are also guided tours for the general public led out by the curator of the exhibition (Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m.; October 9 at 12:45 p.m. ).

https://letno.dival.es/ca/exposicion/exposicio-temporal/mudances

Origins of Levante UD – 22nd December 2022 to 30th June 2023

This exhibition will cover the origins of the football club Llevant UD, from its beginnings to the present era. This club is unknown to a large part of the population. It is the product of the merger of Gimnástico FC, linked to the Workers’ Youth Trust, and Levante Football Club, which became the Levante-Gimnástico Sports Union (UDLG), and then its rapid transformation into Levante UD. It will be interesting to show the reasons that led to the creation of this new team and the social problems it raised, such as class vs religious trade unions, the reasons for the forced merger, issues between players and fans and the social and political reality of maritime towns in that period.

https://letno.dival.es/ca/exposicion/exposicio-temporal/llevant-ue

No és fàcil ser Valencià (it’s not easy to be Valencian) – Permanent exhibition

L’ETNO ‘s permanent exhibition reflects on the questions of identity crisis, the conservation of traditional customs and practices in an increasingly culturally homogeneous world. All cultural identities around the world are subject to contradictions, tensions and lack of unanimity. This exhibition takes Valencian society as a reference point, from the end of the pre-industrial world to the present day. The exhibition has been organised in three areas and in each one a separate theme is addressed: the City, where questions are raised regarding the tension between global and local; les Hortes and les Marjals, where some stereotypes about Valencian culture are discussed; and Secà i la Muntanya , where little-known subjects from the Valencian hinterland are referred to.

https://letno.dival.es/ca/exposicion/exposicio-permanent/no-es-facil-ser-valencia

Activities

• November 12th – 10:00h – 20:00h: Viquimarató Etnopoètica (Wiki Marathon Ethnopoetics) A selection of narrative performances and oral performances.
  For more info see : https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/viquimarato-etnopoetica
• 22nd December -19:30h: Inauguration of the Origins of Levante UD exhibition
• 23rd December – 19:00h: Live listening party for Carlos Ayats radio programme “No Truce”.
• 28th December – 19:00h: Presentation of the publication “113 icons in the history of Levante UD” by Emilio Nadal and “Stories of a conqueror. Levante UD 1909-2023” B Felip Bens and illustrated by Antoni Ortiz

Workshops

• Migrations – A chance to reflect and create based on the stories witnessed in the exhibition – 18th September 2022 – 25th January 2023: https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/taller-mudances
• Where the Witches Live – Come and read about the legends of Valencia’s witches- 13th November 2022 – (12:00h to 13:30h): https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/viuen-les-bruixes
• Discovering Valencia’s Mosaics – Learn the history of Valencia’s many mosaics and then give it a try yourself – 20th and 27th November 2022 (12:00h to 13:30h): https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/descobrint-el-mosaic-valencia
• Mexican seven pointed piñata – Make a piñata and fill it with sweets and wishes for the New Year, and learn about its symbolism in the Mexican Christmas tradition – 4th, 8th and 11th December 2022 (12:00h a 13:30h): https://letno.dival.es/ca/actividad/cursos-i-tallers/pinyata-mexicana-de-set-puntes

L’ETNO. Museu Valencià d’Etnologia

Carrer Corona, 36. 46003 València. España

Contact: 963 883 565 / letno@dival.es

https://letno.dival.es/ca

Report by Danny Weller

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’