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ELENA AFIRMATIVA

Rails of Life

Raíles of Life is a community-based, intergenerational art project awarded an Honorable Mention at the Microacciona 2023 Festival of Art and Social Transformation, organized by the Murcia City Council and the Cepaim Foundation. The project was carried out together with Anna Borisova.

Its main aim is to transform the Vía Verde Costera Sur—as it passes through Beniaján (Region of Murcia)—into a space for interaction, contemplation, and creativity. To this end, the mediation project draws on various thinkers and movements: Jane Jacobs’ vision of public space as a site of communication and coexistence; Robert Filliou’s ludic–artistic philosophy and his notion of Permanent Creation; and the nature-oriented practice of Andy Goldsworthy. Rails of Life unfolded primarily across three public sessions that included theoretical workshops, artistic–playful walks along the Greenway featuring creative activities tied to the site’s historical past, immediate observation, and projections for the space’s future; as well as debate sessions and collective design from which a game emerged for any passerby on the Vía Verde, offering an alternative, playful way of looking at it. The process concluded with a community-wide walk that put the new collaborative game to the test. This freely accessible game, titled Desvelarí, consists of 71 cards comprising 66 activities divided into three groups of 22 organized by theme—past, present, and future. Its prompts are designed so that any user of the Vía Verde Costera Sur can cultivate a more creative, poetic gaze on this reclaimed space. Thanks to a Transfer Agreement with the Murcia City Council and with support from the Spanish Railways Foundation, Desvelarí has also been produced in physical editions and implemented at Colegio Monteazahar and IES Beniaján, within the 24th National Greenways Day. Project objectives: — Promote historical and cultural awareness. Through a collaborative, interactive game, the project seeks to reveal how the former railway line has evolved into today’s Greenway—and how this transformation has impacted the local community and the landscape of Beniaján over time. In doing so, it traces the site’s evolution from a space of transit to a space of encounter, like an organism that changes, transforms, and will continue to mutate. — Foster community participation and a vision for the future. By inviting participants to imagine future creative interventions and improvements to the site, the project aims to encourage community dialogue about how we want our environment to evolve. — Restore emotional connection to place. With particular attention to the former train station—now a community development center—and the old tracks area—now a Greenway—the project seeks to strengthen the community’s emotional bond with these significant spaces. — Highlight the value of reclaiming abandoned urban spaces. The project underscores the importance of revitalizing disused urban areas, as a necessary step to prevent deterioration and marginalization.

Juego de Cartas Desvelarí

© 2025 Created by Elena Afirmativa López-Martín

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