L'Empremta de L'Aigua

1.5 million photographs covered in mud. Over a year of meticulous work to save 85% of the memory of l'Horta Sud. Help us turn these scars into a book.

On October 29, 2024, an extreme DANA (a severe weather phenomenon known as a 'cut-off low') struck València, leaving a deep human, material, and emotional mark on dozens of municipalities. Thousands of homes were flooded by water and mud, sweeping away not only objects but also irreplaceable memories: family albums and photographs that held the intimate memories of many families.

From this urgent need to rescue memory, Salvem les Fotos was born—an initiative dedicated to the recovery and restoration of the family photographic heritage of those affected by the flood.

Through collective, artisanal, and deeply committed work, the project becomes an exercise in social resilience and the foundation of L’Empremta de l’Aigua, a book that gives voice to the families and transforms the scars of disaster into shared memory.

A project by Lucas Momparler, published by the Valencian publisher Handshake.

Trilingual edition —» The book’s texts will be in Valencian, Spanish, and English.

ABOUT SALVEM LES FOTOS

In the aftermath of the DANA, as many families struggled with what to do with their mud-covered family albums, two photography restorers and enthusiasts launched what would become the seed of Salvem les Fotos. The University of València championed the project, which soon received support from the Valencian Public Universities Network and local institutions and museums.

The goal of Salvem les Fotos is to rescue and restore the identity and family photographic heritage of those affected by the flood. This initiative not only provides social and emotional support but also helps recover and preserve photographic heritage, becoming a driving force for social resilience.

To achieve this, five field laboratories were set up near the affected areas, receiving approximately 1.5 million photographs. Of these, 45% are processed in the laboratory at the Museu Comarcal de l’Horta Sud in Torrent, where I have been working for the past year.

Each photograph requires a meticulous and manual process, making the overall work slow and resource-intensive. However, through effort and dedication, we have managed to recover around 85% of the material we received.

From the results of this work, L’Empremta de l’Aigua was born—a publication aimed at uniting this collective memory and highlighting the restoration efforts carried out during this process.

WHY SUPPORT THIS PROJECT?

By supporting this project, you are restoring the soul to hundreds of homes. You are helping families reclaim something unique and personal: their memories. The saved photographs are pieces of identity that strengthen their sense of belonging, allowing them to rebuild their stories.

We are also rescuing the historical and cultural heritage of the region. These photographs are a unique testament to daily life, traditions, and the identity of our communities. Their preservation is an act of collective resilience and an essential legacy of learning for future generations.

Your support helps us secure the resources needed to produce and treat this project with the dignity and care it deserves. Only when all families recover their photographs will their houses truly feel like home again.

WHAT WILL THE BOOK BE LIKE?

This book is, above all, an archive of the region’s collective memory and a tool to give voice to the families. Memories from past eras, unified in time by the whims of water and mud, have become a symbol of survival. These scars teach us a new layer of history—one that also needs to be told.

L’Empremta de l’Aigua is an author-driven book, a carefully crafted 292 pages publication featuring 163 photographs from the personal archives of 33 affected families. In these images, we see not only their stories but also reflections of our own—those of our friends and loved ones.

Dimensions: 13 x 18 cm / Pages: 290 /Protective cover: Screen-printed in white / Paper: 120 gsm offset paper

WHERE WILL YOUR CONTRIBUTION GO?

All funds raised will be used exclusively to finance the production of the book, Verkami’s service fee, and shipping costs.

Once production is complete, the books will be distributed approximately as follows:

• Verkami backers: 38% to 50% of the print run (depending on the funding goal achieved).

• Ethical commitments and archive: About 20-30% of the print run will go directly to the affected families and protagonists of the book, the author, preservation in the Handshake archive, and the Foundation.

• Editorial distribution: The surplus (28% to 40%) will be sold to ensure the project’s continuity. 30% of the net profit from these sales will be donated to the Fundació Horta Sud (which manages most of the funds for Salvem les Fotos), to continue rescuing photographs.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Although the Verkami campaign marks the beginning of the final phase, this project has been a long journey: from the rescue and meticulous recovery of the images to the design and sequencing of memory on paper.

Our campaign will last four weeks. Once the goal is reached, we will enter production. Printing and binding are an artisanal process that takes three to four weeks.

Estimated timeline:

• February 19: Campaign launch.

• March 19: Campaign closes and contributions are charged.

• March 23: Printing begins and production starts.

• April 20: Rewards begin shipping to backers.

After the campaign, the project will continue. The remaining copies (after deducting those for families, the author, and the archive) will be distributed by Handshake in bookstores and fairs. Remember, 30% of the profits from these sales will be donated to the Fundació Horta Sud.

WHO ARE WE?

LUCAS MOMPARLER

I am a Valencian visual artist whose practice focuses on exploring the relationships between humans and the natural world, reimagining our connections with the environment and proposing new ways of reflecting on how we coexist with it. My work primarily involves analog photography, archival materials, video, and new technologies.

I have presented my work at festivals such as SCAN, Ojos Rojos, Lumínic, and the Charta Festival in Rome. I have also participated in artistic residencies, where I primarily worked with photographic archives, reinterpreting the past to create contemporary narratives.

Within Salvem les Fotos, my role has been multifaceted. On one hand, I have been involved in the recovery of family archives. On the other, alongside Rosina Herrera (restoration coordinator at the laboratory and one of the project’s founders), we implemented a course on rescuing and recovering collections affected by flooding. Additionally, together with photographer and lab colleague José Ferrero, I curated the exhibition "Memòria i Resiliència: la fotografia com a testimoniatge de vida", which showcases the scale and significance of the project.

In parallel, I developed L’Empremta de l’Aigua, a more personal project that also emerged from this work. It has been exhibited at the SCAN Festival in Tarragona and will be on display next year at the Watersnood Museum in the Netherlands.

HANDSHAKE

Handshake is a small independent publisher based in Valencia, specializing in editions focused on artistic and visual culture. With over seven years of experience, they have developed a practice known for the experimental nature of their designs and international distribution approach.