Brief / Concept

In Memoria Historica de la Alameda, the multimedia information browsed through the system deal with the memory of the avenue and in particular with the period of Pinochet’s dictatorship during which the street became the scene of different events of oppression and resistance.
La Alameda de las Delicias is the centre of Santiago’s social, economical and political life. Since its foundation, in the beginning of the 19th century, this street has represented the quintessential public space, been from time to time a place for strolling, a scenario of urban riots and guerrilla, of huge political manifestations, religious processions and sport parades until its current function as backbone for public transport and trades. This main boulevard is the source of a virtually infinite amount of personal and institutional memories.
MHA aims at putting in short-circuit the Avenue’s landscape with the events marking its history, and bringing to consciousness a remarkable memory in a nation where the scars of the history are still visible. Contents included in MHA were thought to achieve a poetic interpretation of the urban space, working as a consciousness catalyst of the historical, political and social dynamics forming the urban network.

Design Process

Memoria Historica de la Alameda was conceived and developed during the “Aesthetics for a Calm Technology” workshop held at the Arts department at the Universidad de Chile. Students from the course participated in the production of contents conducing extensive archives research, street interviews and recording personal memories about Alameda boulevard. Finally, the contents were edited, translated in Flash files (to be displayed on the PDA handset) and geo-referenced to specific locations of Alameda de las Delicias boulevard.

Experience video

Brief / Concept

In the night between the 30th of June and the 1st of July 2005, Avenida Libertador Bernardo O' Higgins, the main Avenue of Santiago de Chile, was covered with posters saying "Aquì me acuerdo que...". This action was intended to involve people casually encountering such posters in a recollection of fragments of memory connected with a certain place of the city.