Future Memories Installation

Stepping into the realm of “Future Memories” at USC, we embark on a journey through time, exploring the ever-evolving narrative of Los Angeles. This captivating installation, conceived by Geoff Manaugh, Mark Smout, and Laura Allen, isn’t just an exhibit; it’s an interactive game board predicting the city’s destiny. “Future Memories” utilizes historical artifacts, 3D models, and interactive text from USC’s archives. These remnants of Los Angeles’ past become building blocks for its potential futures. The creators of “Future Memories” asked a compelling question: If these archived objects represent Los Angeles’ origins, can they also illuminate its future trajectory? This question resonates deeply within the city’s narrative. Los Angeles has always been a city preoccupied with its future, from its precarious water supply to the looming threat of earthquakes. The installation explores this theme of transformation. It acknowledges Los Angeles’s inherent tendency to reinvent itself, a city where people come to change their lives, to become something new. “Future Memories” embraces this idea. It presents a Los Angeles that is perpetually “yet to be determined”. Smout and Allen, known for their work with unstable landscapes, created 3D models for the installation. These models depict potential scenarios, like neighborhoods fortified against earthquakes with massive underground pendulums. These pendulums not only act as seismic counterweights but also generate renewable energy from the earth’s tremors. “Future Memories” literalizes the concept of a game about the future. Alongside the models, game boards designed by David Mellen incorporate archival photos. Players navigate the competing interests that shape the city’s destiny, highlighting the constant struggle between different visions for Los Angeles.