A meeting of contemporary art, landscape, and community ties in the heart of the Vall d’Albaida
On May 24 and 25, 2025, the DAR collective celebrated another edition of DAR Fest, organized by DARVA (Dones Artistes Rurals de la Vall d’Albaida), an association that emerged from the previous edition in this region. Over two intense days, the festival toured various municipalities, artists’ studios, and heritage sites throughout the region. The event brought together creators, researchers, and cultural agents around the concept of shared territory, exploring how art can continue to weave connections between people, memory, and landscape.
A meeting of contemporary art, landscape, and community ties in the heart of the Vall d’Albaida At midday, the group traveled to Fontanars dels Alforins, where they shared lunch at the La Caudalia restaurant before heading to Ontinyent to visit the studios of Xus Francés and Càrol Otero, two of the DAR artists who opened their spaces to discuss contemporary artistic practice, belonging, and rural roots. The afternoon concluded with a stroll through Ontinyent’s old town, stopping at the Palau de la Vila and the Sala Almàssera, where the day ended in a relaxed atmosphere, with tapas and conversation.
On Sunday, May 25, the day began in Carrícola with a shared breakfast at the Hostal de Carrícola, followed by a visit to the Biodivers project, an initiative of artistic interventions in nature that strengthens the dialogue between art, sustainability, and biodiversity. The tour culminated in Aielo de Malferit with visits to the studios of Llucí Juan and Lia Vidal, where the concept of shared territory materialized as an experience of encounter and creation. Both artists shared their processes, spaces, and reflections on life and artistic practice in the contemporary rural context.
Art as a form of connection
In this edition, DAR Fest once again highlighted art’s capacity to create community and collective thought from a local perspective, articulating a sensitive geography where women artists, nature, and heritage converge.
