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The Biblioteca de Ciències Socials Gregori Maians of the Universitat de València will launch the cultural and social project Paraula Viva on Tuesday, October 14, inspired by the Human Libraries movement, with the aim of transforming the Library into a living space of memory, active listening, and community reconstruction.
The first edition of Paraula Viva is dedicated to the DANA of October 29, 2024 and its victims. Through encounters between “human books” and readers, a living archive of testimonies will be created, addressing loss, resilience, and solidarity around a meteorological episode that profoundly transformed life in the Comunitat Valenciana.
The inaugural event will feature comedian Xavi Castillo as the first guest, engaging in dialogue with the audience in a session marked by reflection and proximity. The participation of writer Carmen Amoraga, initially scheduled for September 30 will be rescheduled due to the climate alert issued last Tuesday, September 30.
In addition, families of DANA victims and representatives of the Associació de Víctimes Mortals de la DANA, together with professionals from rescue and emergency teams, will take part. Their voices, along with many others, will form a plural mosaic of personal and collective experiences that give meaning to shared memory.
According to Amelia López, director of the Library and co-promoter of the project together with Cristina García and emeritus professor Antonio Ariño, “this is about giving the floor to those who have lived through events that have decisively marked their lives, and doing so in a welcoming, community-oriented context such as the library. Each voice is a piece of memory that we need to hear in order to rebuild ourselves as a society.”
In parallel, the Library’s lobby hosts until November 10, 2025, the photographic exhibition Les escriptures de l’aigua. A social perspective on the DANA of 29-10-2024, curated by Antonio Ariño and featuring works by Cueto Lominchar, Ana Martínez Gorostiza, and Mario Rabasco. The exhibition offers a critical and sensitive perspective on the effects of this extreme weather event, while inviting reflection on vulnerability, solidarity, and the capacity of affected communities to respond.
Further information and detailed program:
Paraula Viva
Exhibition Les escriptures de l’aigua
