Between Urgency and Constraint: The Conservation of the Port de Catarroja Mural after the DANA

Authors

Keywords:

DANA, preventive conservation, urban art, climate emergency, Catarroja, response protocol

Abstract

This study presents the case of the Port de Catarroja mural, a contemporary artwork located at the headquarters of the Fishermen’s Community of Catarroja, in the heart of the Albufera Natural Park, whose conservation was affected by the DANA (Mediterranean storm) that struck Valencia on October 29, 2024. The initially planned intervention —a preventive conservation proposal agreed upon with the artist— was interrupted due to the devastation caused by the climate-related disaster, which intensified pre-existing damage and left the natural environment in a state of high vulnerability.

The impossibility of carrying out the intervention was the result of both the environmental restrictions of the protected natural area in which the mural is located and the economic and administrative limitations faced by the municipality in the aftermath of the emergency. This case highlights the urgent need to address the lack of protocols for responding to natural disasters in the field of public and urban murals, suggesting the development of adaptable response frameworks for sensitive and changing contexts.

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Author Biography

Marta Peris Felipe, Restauradora

Conservator-restorer of cultural heritage by the Universitat Politècnica de València and Art Historician by the Universitat de València. Her work focuses on the conservation of mural painting, contemporary art, and the protection of cultural heritage in the context of climate emergencies, with special attention to public art in vulnerable natural environments. She is currently part of the Salvem les Fotos project, dedicated to the rescue, intervention, and preservation of photographs and family heritage affected by the DANA storm in the Valencian Community. She works as an independent researcher and actively promotes reflection on the need to establish technical protocols for action in the face of natural disasters.

References

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PERIS FELIPE, M. (2024). Estudio y propuesta de conservación y restauración de la pintura mural contemporánea “Port de Catarroja”. Trabajo de Fin de Grado, Universitat Politècnica de València. Disponible en: http://hdl.handle.net/10251/219865

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Published

2026-02-03

How to Cite

Peris Felipe, M. (2026). Between Urgency and Constraint: The Conservation of the Port de Catarroja Mural after the DANA. Ge-conservacion, 29(1), 31–37. Retrieved from https://revista.ge-iic.com/index.php/revista/article/view/1421

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 1 (2023): Ge-conservación Nº29

Section

Artículos

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