Arkive: Reviving the Lost Stories of Chavez Ravine

Arkive serves as a poignant and immersive exploration of the narrative of Chavez Ravine, a once-vibrant Latino neighborhood supplanted by Dodger Stadium. This innovative exhibition provides a window into the lives of the people who once inhabited the area, thoughtfully combining historical materials, photography, and audio to forge a multi-sensory connection between past and present. Utilizing dual projected screens and an interactive antique radio dial, audiences can journey through time and delve into the rich history of Chavez Ravine's Latino community.

In a world where stories and collective memories are increasingly under threat from urbanization, climate change, and other unforeseeable factors, Arkive seeks to preserve cultural identities by documenting, organizing, and sharing these stories and artifacts for future generations. Through a carefully designed integrated archive ecosystem, Arkive maintains the accuracy and security of digital artifacts, while promoting collaboration across various fields.

By involving graphic designers, archivists, and curators, Arkive forms a scalable visual system that preserves and presents numerous stories from diverse communities. This collaborative approach allows the archive to grow and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of cultural preservation. The public retrieval system enables people to learn from the collection and contribute their own stories, fostering a continuous process of cultural preservation and enrichment.

The story of Chavez Ravine exemplifies the importance of preserving and curating collective memories, highlighting the fragility and significance of such communities. Arkive encourages collaboration and ensures that these invaluable stories live on for future generations to appreciate and learn from. Through the careful employment of design methods and building interfaces that collect, store, and share these memories, Arkive establishes itself as a vital platform for safeguarding the narratives that contribute to our shared human experience.