interface.LA
In a city where development can bulldoze history, this initiative stands as a vibrant call to gather around the collective memories that have shaped Los Angeles. Through a series of digital and physical activations, it seeks to explore the unseen layers of our shared past, using an archive of news footage as both a mirror and a lens. The KTLA archive, rich with the city's visual history, offers a unique opportunity to interrogate the role of the moving image in shaping LA’s geographies.
The question at the heart of this endeavor is profound: What publics have been created by the camera? Which have been destroyed? And what narratives hum just beyond the margins of the frame, waiting to be heard? This initiative is more than a reflection on the past; it's a creative experiment in collaboration, a process that invites cultural creators, LA residents, and communities—whose lives and stories have often been relegated to the shadows of the public news imagination—to dream up new possibilities together.
This initiative seeks to create meaningful opportunities for Angelenos to interact with archival material that belongs to us all. Rooted in the city’s oldest television news network, it engages critically with questions of whose stories are told and who gets to tell them. It challenges the gaps and silences in the archive, using them as a starting point for imagining a more connected and equitable future.
Through a series of community activations around town and online, this initiative will bring together a collective of people invested in tracing the past, understanding how it is reflected in the landscapes we occupy today, and imagining what might be possible if new paths were forged together. The work will culminate in a final capstone event planned for early 2025, presenting the findings, reflections, and visions that emerge from this collaborative journey.
This is not just an initiative; it's an invitation—a gathering point where the past and present meet, where neighborhoods and histories converge, and where the potential for a more relational future is not just considered but actively constructed. Here, the archive becomes a living, breathing space for engagement, reflection, and transformation.
Background
Los Angeles, a city characterized by its diversity and dynamism, has undergone profound transformations over the decades. The archival footage from KTLA, the city’s oldest television news station, offers a vivid snapshot of this evolution from the Watts Rebellion of 1965 to the LA Riots of 1992. This period, marked by intense social upheavals and shifting political landscapes, reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in a city facing both progress and setbacks.
KTLA’s extensive archive provides a critical lens on the evolution of Los Angeles — a city marked by deep social, economic, and racial divisions, coupled with rapid urban development and an intensifying culture of surveillance and control. This news footage documents the city's complex shifting identities from 1967-1992.
Los Angeles, a city characterized by its diversity and dynamism, has undergone profound transformations over the decades. The archival footage from KTLA, the city’s oldest television news station, offers a vivid snapshot of this evolution from the Watts Rebellion of 1965 to the LA Riots of 1992. This period, marked by intense social upheavals and shifting political landscapes, reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in a city facing both progress and setbacks.
Los Angeles, a city characterized by its diversity and dynamism, has undergone profound transformations over the decades. The archival footage from KTLA, the city’s oldest television news station, offers a vivid snapshot of this evolution from the Watts Rebellion of 1965 to the LA Riots of 1992. This period, marked by intense social upheavals and shifting political landscapes, reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in a city facing both progress and setbacks.
Los Angeles, a city characterized by its diversity and dynamism, has undergone profound transformations over the decades. The archival footage from KTLA, the city’s oldest television news station, offers a vivid snapshot of this evolution from the Watts Rebellion of 1965 to the LA Riots of 1992. This period, marked by intense social upheavals and shifting political landscapes, reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in a city facing both progress and setbacks.
Los Angeles, a city characterized by its diversity and dynamism, has undergone profound transformations over the decades. The archival footage from KTLA, the city’s oldest television news station, offers a vivid snapshot of this evolution from the Watts Rebellion of 1965 to the LA Riots of 1992. This period, marked by intense social upheavals and shifting political landscapes, reflects the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in a city facing both progress and setbacks.
Components of the Initiative
For the interface.LA collective, the components of the initiative are carefully designed to meld past narratives with contemporary dialogues, weaving together community efforts with historical introspection. Here’s an overview that harmonizes with the visionary essence articulated in your letter of introduction:
Series of Community Events:
These gatherings are designed as dynamic interactions with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, offering a platform for community-driven reinterpretations of historical narratives. Proposed events include:
Urban Planning Session with James Rojas: Participants collaboratively reimagine their city’s future, grounding discussions in both historical context and futuristic aspirations.
Home Tape Digitization Event (TAPE): A practical workshop where community members preserve personal histories by digitizing old tapes, reinforcing the archive’s living history.
Reading/Lecture Series: Critical engagements with texts like City of Quartz and Ruthie Gilmore’s writings, deepening the community’s understanding of Los Angeles’ socio-political landscape.
Meditation Class with OPEN: These sessions provide a reflective space for participants to connect deeper with their personal and collective histories.
Collaborations with Local Organizations: Partnering with groups like Echo Park Film Collective and Echo Park LATU to enrich the archival content with contemporary community narratives.
Online Community Space:
A robust digital hub (e.g., Discord) serves as the backbone for ongoing dialogue and resource sharing, complemented by a Wiki for updates, ensuring all community members have access to the same rich base of knowledge and interaction.
Social Channel Marketing:
An active presence on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms not only amplifies the initiative's reach but also invites broader community engagement, turning passive viewers into active participants.
Commissioning and Producing Original Creative Work from Community:
This aspect fuels the creative engine of the initiative, sponsoring original works that respond to the archival triggers. These creations are then shared across digital platforms, community events, and are highlighted in the culminating capstone activation.
Original Footage Produced by Artist-in-Residence:
The Artist-in-Residence captures new narratives through oral histories and community event documentation, enriching the existing archive with layers of contemporary resonance. This footage, alongside newly created visual content, forms the backbone of the final video installation, ensuring the past and present of Los Angeles coalesce in a compelling narrative continuum.