National Stadium - Open Archive: the experience of an urban digital archive

Abstract

This article analyzes the “Estadio Nacional - Archivo Abierto [National Stadium - Open Archive]” project, a collective digital archive about the main sports infrastructure in Chile. Located in the city of Santiago, the stadium was inaugurated in 1938 and quickly became one of the most important public spaces of the capital city. In 2012 a group of researchers started collecting graphic records (photographs, illustrations, press clippings and maps) about the National Stadium’s past. Multiple events have shaped the history of the stadium: on one hand, it has been the site of political rallies, national and international sports championships, elections, cultural celebrations, concerts and other massive events. On the other hand, it has been a witness to painful uses, such as its transformation into a prison and torture center during the first months of Pinochet’s military dictatorship. The article reflects on the selection, categorization and release of the graphic records about the National Stadium. As documentary evidence these records can help us asses existing ideas and interpretations about the stadium and its uses, as well as open new lines of reflection and research. Further, the authors present the main difficulties and challenges that were involved in the process of assembling the collective memory of a place, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of working on a collaborative open access platform.