As part of the Primera estació artistic interventions in the Catalan village of Benifallet, Spain, organized by Betty Bui and Gilles Coudert. Warmest thanks to the inhabitants for their generous welcome.
For Benifallet, in the mountains of Catalogne, the only link with the outside world had, for a long time, been the Ebro River.
Then a railway track was constructed. The construction work has steadfastly remained in the minds of the inhabitants because of the immense difficulties it entailed, as tunnels had to be digged and bridges built. As the region was known for its resistance to Franco’s dictatorship, construction was largely brought about by forced labour.
Later, road transport gained the upper hand over the train, and the railway track was abandonned.
I invited the inhabitants of Benifallet and those of the neighbouring village to reclaim the tracks, at nightfall, by creating a Path of Light with candles, joining together the two former stations. The two groups parted at the same moment and met mid-way on a bridge between the two villages.
Photos : Olivier Martin Gambier, from the book Primera estació, Jean-Michel Place, Paris 2000.