‘Daka Archive’ is an innovative cultural platform that honours and protects the historical memory of the indigenous Caribbean, proposing a reconstruction of heritage from an inclusive and decolonial perspective.
Date
05 November 2024
‘Daka Archive’ is an innovative cultural platform that honours and protects the historical memory of the indigenous Caribbean, proposing a reconstruction of heritage from an inclusive and decolonial perspective.
Blanc! held its 16th edition from 24 to 26 October 2024 at La Daurada, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona. Three days full of creativity dedicated to branding, digital innovation and art direction, with talks and masterclasses by some of the most relevant names in the sector and young emerging designers, such as IED Barcelona alumnus Lia Ferreiro.
Graduating in Motion Graphics and Video last June, Ferreiro presented her final degree project, 'Daka Archive', on 26 October in the Campus Blanc! section. It is an immersive digital archiving experience that compiles Taino culture and history by combining 3D animations, visual narratives and advanced archiving methods to create an interactive proposal that rescues the history and traditions of the Indigenous Caribbean.
Following her time at Brut!, Ferreiro was one of the three students selected to share the key points of her project, which reconstructs heritage from an inclusive and decolonial perspective, with the audience at one of the main events in the sector. This year, Blanc! featured prominent voices from the creative industries such as Gail Anderson (former Art Director of Rolling Stone), Thierry Brunfaut of Base Design, and the Espadaysantacruz studio, combining the classic and most innovative in the field of design.
During her speech, Ferreiro explained how ‘Daka Archive’ not only represents the history of the Taino people but also challenges conventional historical accounts, which often omit or distort the experiences of indigenous cultures in the Caribbean. The project is inspired by the Cave of Wonders in the Dominican Republic, a significant space for Taino culture that houses pictograms and cave paintings, symbolising the spiritual and cultural connection with their ancestors. Through this approach, the archive not only documents Taino heritage, but allows for an interactive exploration of it, highlighting details that have been lost or overlooked due to colonialism.