Community Reclaims Public Space Through Interactive Art in Valencia

• Residents of Parke Alcosa in Valencia, working with artist Reyes Pe, launched "Un parque para Parke," an interactive, inflatable art installation designed to foster community resilience following recent flooding.
• The project prioritizes local children's involvement, basing the structure's design on their own drawings to reclaim public space for collective play and social connection.
• After the Alfafar City Council blocked the installation in the neighborhood's main plaza, citing "technical issues," organizers moved the event to the nearby Espai Algrà community space.

Tensions with Local Government

• The inauguration day served as a protest against the Alfafar City Council’s attempt to evict a self-managed, resident-run supermarket in Plaza Miguel Hernández.
• The supermarket acted as a critical survival hub during the DANA floods, providing food and aid to neighbors when formal infrastructure failed.
• Participants emphasized that the council's restrictions on the art project and the supermarket reflect a broader attempt to suppress community-led initiatives that bypass individualistic urban policies.