3/04/2025–12/04/2025. Petrotuning. Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse.
3/04/2025–12/04/2025. Flowers and journeys. Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse.
8/04/2025–9/04/2025. Petromasculinities– performance with El niño de Elche. Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse.
12/04/2025. Essai- with Rocío Molina. Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse.
28/04/2025–28/08/2025. Citissimum, altissimum, fortissimum. Exhibition at Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
Cabosanroque are Laia Torrents Carulla and Roger Aixut Sampietro. Their work revolves around sound and its performative capacities. Their interventions question the exhibition space and formats; they also question the spectator when it comes to inhabiting this physical, temporal and conceptual space; sound and visual. They are interested in artifice and its relation to humans.
They look for tensions between disciplines such as music, theatre, visual arts and sound to open up margins, spaces in conflict. Their academic background (music, industrial engineering and architecture) leads them to use technology in all their works, always understood as a tool, as a medium and not as an aesthetic, in a continuous process of research. They often collaborate with other artists, thinkers and writers.
Since 2012 their works have been exhibited nationally and internationally. In recent years they have been in: CaixaFòrum + (2023); Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Barcelona 2023); Cité de l’Architecture, (París 2021); Centre Georges Pompidou, (París 2020-2021); Center for Contemporary Arts of Glasgow, (Glasgow 2019); Casa Encendida, (Madrid 2018); Shaubude, (Berlin 2018); Fonoteca Nacional de México, (Ciudad de México 2012); Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, (Barcelona 2023, 2016, 2008); Sonar Festival, (Barcelona: 2018, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2008, Frankfurt: 2008, Santiago de Chile: 2015); Grec Festival (Barcelona 2023, 2021, 2006); Festival Temporada Alta (Girona 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012, 2009); La Filature Scène Nationale de Mulhouse (Mulhouse 2019); Théatre Garonne, Scène européenne de Toulouse (Toulouse 2024, 2020, 2019), Unidram Festival (Berlin 2009). Festival (Berlin, 2009).
Since 2015 they have been resident artists at the Fundació Lluís Coromina.
Photo: Inga Knölke
2023. Site Un-specific, for CaixaFòrum +, a free online platform of the Fundació “la Caixa”. Currently in production process. Collaborating artists: Graciela Iturbide, Perejaume, el Niño de Elche, El conde de Torrefiel, Alberto Conejero i Isa Campo.
2015-2022. Trilogy. Expanded theatre.
2022. III Flowers and Journeys. Temporada Alta (Girona, 2022), Naves del Español en Matadero (Madrid, 2023), Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Barcelona, 2023), Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona, 2023), Théâtre Garonne Scnène Européenne de Toulouse (Toulouse, 2024).
2019. II Demons. Temporada Alta (Girona, 2019), Festival Vagamonde (La Filature-Mulhouse, 2020); Festival In-Extremis (Théâtre Garonne –Scène Nationale de Toulouse, 2020), Festival Grec (Barcelona, 2020), Festival de Otoño (Madrid, 2020), Mèdol: Centre d’Arts Contemporànies de Tarragona (Tarragona, 2023), Museu d’Art Contemporani de Mataró (Mataró, 2023), el Centre Arts Santa Monica (Barcelona, 2021), CCCB (Barcelona, 2023).
2016. Brossa didn’t make me. Festival Temporada Alta (Girona, 2016); Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona, 2017-2018), Teatros del Canal (Madrid, 2017); Arts Santa Monica, (Barcelona, 2018); Schaubude (Berlin, 2018), Mima Festival (Mirepoix, 2018), El Tinglado Centre D’art, Tarragona (Tarragona, 2018); Centre Cultural El Casino (Manresa, 2018); Centre Cultural El Casino (Manresa, 2019), Can Manyé espai d’art i creació (Alella, 2019), Museu de Granollers, (Granollers, 2019), Teatre Principal de Palma (Palma de Mallorca, 2019); Centre d’Art contemporani La Sala (Vilanova i la Geltrú, 2019), Fundació Palau i Fabra (Caldes d’Estrach, 2019), Sala dels Trinitaris (Vilafranca del Penedès, 2019), Center for Contemporary Arts, (Glasgow, 2019), Museu Abelló (Mollet, 2019-2020); Centre Cultural El Born (Barcelona, 2020), Festival BAD Bilbao (Bilbao, 2020), Festival 10 Sentidos (Valencia, 2021), Festival Internacional de Artes de Calle (Valladolid, 2021), Iglesia de San Andrés (Cuenca, 2021), CCCB (Barcelona, 2023).
2022. Petrotuning. Bòlit Centre d’Art Contemporani de Girona. Sculptural ensemble. acquired by la Col·lecció Nacional D’art de Catalunya. Adquirida per la col·lecció Nacional d’Art de Catalunya..
2021. Yanvalou. Art installation. Exhibition Aerodream. Cité de l’Architecture de Paris.
2020. Mise en scène d’un lieu. Installation. For RCR Arquitectes Centre Pompidou Paris (sala 22).
2019. Un nom. Art installation. Amb Perejaume. Palau de la música catalana. Barcelona.
2018. Sónar calling GJ273b. 8-bit sound piece. Sónar celebrates 25 years with a message to extraterrestrial intelligence. Cabosanroque is one of the 38 international artists selected.
2018. RRR. Sound space for a dance piece. Amb Frederic Amat i La Veronal. L’Auditori Barcelona. (TA Girona, Teatre Lliure Barcelona).
2018. Ursonate Karaoke. Art installation. Casa Encendida. Madrid.
2017. Sound Mural. Staged concert. CaixaFòrum. Barcelona.
2016. the garden of Hesperides. Art installation. CaixaFòrum, Barcelona.
2016. Equilibris precaris. Solo exhibition, Fundació Lluís Coromina, Banyoles.
2015. La cobla patafísica 2015-2001. Solo exhibition. ASM, Barcelona.
2012. Los árboles aullaron. Art installation. Fonoteca Nacional de México. Artistic residency.
2011. Maquinofòbiapianolera. Staged concert. With Carles Santos. Mercat de les Flors, (Barcelona, 2011); Festival Noves Tendències (Terrassa, 2011); Teatro de la Abadía (Madrid, 2011); Paranimf de la Universitat Jaume I, (Castelló, 2012); L’Auditori (Barcelona, 2012); Teatre Bartrina (Reus, 2012); Teatro Central (Sevilla, 2012); Auditori (Lleida, 2012); Teatro Zorrila, (Valladolid, 2012); Auditori (València, 2012); Festival d’Alacant (Alacant, 2012);; Teatre Àtrium, (Viladecans, 2012); Auditorio Municipal (Vigo, 2012); Festival de Música Contemporània ENSEMS (València, 2012); Teatro Cánovas (Málaga, 2012); Teatro Lara (Valladolid, 2012); Festival Pirineos Sur (Sallent de Gállego, 2012); Salisbury International Arts Festival (Salisbury, 2013); Centro Cultural de España en México (CDMX, 2013); Teatro Esperanza Iris (CDMX, 2013); Teatro Principal de Pachuca (Pachuca, 2013); Octubre Centre de Cultura Contemporània (València, 2013).
Perejaume (2023 Site Un-specific, 2019 Un nom, 2017 No em va fer Joan Brossa), Graciela Iturbide (2022 Site Un-specific), Rocío Molina (2022 Flors i Viatges, 2019 Dimonis, 2015 Impulso), Niño de Elche (2022 Site Un-Specific, 2019 Dimonis, El conde de torrefiel (2023 Site Un-Specific), RCR Architecs (2020 Mise en scène d’un lieu) Marcos Morau (2018 RRR), Frederic Amat (2018 RRR) , Carles Santos (2014-2012 Maquinofòbiapianolera), Pascal Comelade (2010-2014 Bel Canto Orquestra), Enric Casasses (2019 Dimonis) among others.
2022. Aerodream. Architecture, design et structures gonflables, 1950-2020. Exhibition catalogue. Fréderic Migayrou i Valentina Moimas, Edited by Centre Pompidou-Metz.
2020. RCR Arquitectes au Centre Pompidou. Article Mise en scène d’un lieu. Edited by Institut Ramon Llull i el Centre Pompidou.
2018. Arxius de poesia experimental. Perspectives de futur. Article. Edited by Universitat de Barcelona Edicions.
2015. La cobla patafísica 2015-2001. Solo Exhibition catalogue of cabosanroque. Edited by Arts Santa Mònica i Fabulatorio.
2015. Figures del desdoblament. Titelles, Màquines i Fils. Exhibition Catalogue. Jaume Reus, Anna Valls, Toni Rumbau. Ed. Comanegra.
2015. 12 Rounds. LP. Released by Chesapik. Premio Altaveu.
2013. Maquinofòbiapianolera. Carles Santos i cabosanroque. Corre la Voz Editorial.
2012. Maquinofòbiapianolera. LP. Released by K-Industria.
2010. Ball de pistons. LP. Self-released.
2007. Música a màquina. LP. Self-released..
2005. L’aparador. Exhibition catalogue of L’Aparador. Edited by la Fundació Museu Abelló.
2005. França Xica. LP. Released by G3G Records.
2003. CaboSanRoque. LP. Released by G3G Records.
Professors of facilities in the Master of Sound Art at UAB; Undergraduate professors at EINA (University Center for Design and Art of Barcelona); Guest professors at the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona and at the ENOA Community.
2022. Grant for research and innovation in the field of Visual Arts. For the project “Journeys: From Reality to Fantasy.” Granted by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
2019. Grant for research and innovation in the field of Visual Arts. For the project “Demons.” Granted by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
2016. Grant for research and innovation in the field of Visual Arts. For the project “Brossa Didn’t Make Me.” Granted by the Office of Support for Cultural Initiatives, from the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
2016. Bronze Laus Award. Catalog of the exhibition “The Patafísica Cobla 2015-2001.” (With Desescribir).
2015. Altaveu Award. 12Rounds. Best Urban Music Album.
2011. Innovation in Popular Culture Grant. Research grant awarded by the Jaume Casademont Foundation.
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Demons (2019)
Trilogy part II. Expanded theatre
Second part of the trilogy Three ways to enter.
“This and so many things that happen to me every day now, I would not have believed some time ago, and I do not know who will believe them, except for the very few who see clearly in this world of darkness.”
Demons is a visual and sound ceremony, in which the audience is immersed in Cabosanroque’s skilfully orchestrated choreography. Trapped inside this installation that is a recreation of the Barcelona apartment, the audience is both a passive and an active subject. Because what is theatre if not a form of possession?
In late-19th-century Barcelona, a city shaken by anarchism, communism, Darwinism and spiritualism, a well-known writer and religious man of the time attended a series of exorcism sessions in an apartment on Carrer de Mirallers, in the Born district. Father Cinto took notes of everything he saw in notebooks that were never published during the poet’s lifetime.
In 2014, another poet, Enric Casasses, published an annotated edition of those texts, Dimonis, a volume of remarkable value from which Cabosanroque take the most poetic, surprising and contemporary fragments. They do so with the collaboration of artistes like flamenco singer Niño de Elche, and flamenco dancer and choreographer Rocío Molina, along with anthropologists, scientists and poets speaking in recordings about the concept of possession.
Verdaguer’s words, deeply current, are the knot that ties two parallel worlds: the visible and the invisible. Man and society. The individual and his community.
Concept, creation, dramaturgy, direction, sound design, composition, and scenography: cabosanroque (Laia Torrents Carulla, Roger Aixut Sampietro)
Text: Jacint Verdaguer, Maya Deren
Original music: cabosanroque and versions by cabosanroque of “Veni creator” by Raban Maur, and “The Unanswered Question” by Charles Ives
Sound installations: Cabosanroque
Lighting design: Cube.bz, Cabosanroque
Video: Frau – Recerques Visuals.
Featuring: Niño de Elche (flamenco singer), Rocío Molina (dancer), Enric Casasses (poet), Manuel Delgado (anthropologist), Gerard Horta (anthropologist), Ricard Torrents (Verdaguer specialist), Carme Torrents (museologist), Lourdes Porquet (virologist), Xavier Rebodosa (virologist), Helena Pielias and Vicenç Viaplana (video artists), Laia Torrents, Roger Aixut (Cabosanroque), Núria Martínez Vernis (poet), Jordina Boix (director of the Verdaguer Foundation), Joan Solana
English version voices: Victoria Macarte, Jou
French version voices: Marion Cousin , Borja Flames
Acknowledgments: Casa Museu Verdaguer, Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Barcelona, CCCB (Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona) and Enric Casasses, because without his “Dimonis” (Verdaguer Editions, 2014) ours would not exist
Photography: José Hevia
A co-production of cabosanroque, Grec 2020 Festival of Barcelona, Temporada Alta 2019, La Filature Scène National de Mulhouse, and the Lluís Coromina Foundation.
Supported by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya and The Verdaguer Foundation.
“Stranged from the spectacle.” Enric Casasses
1
Verdaguer’s notes on this thing that happened to him in 1890-91-92 were not published until 2002, a century after his death, in an academic and cold edition, which seemed to me would only reach 3 distracted individuals and 4 specialists. I ended up deciding to make a new edition with comments and presented in such a way that the reader can clearly see that this is a bomb, and just as it exploded in 1892—as seen in any biography of Verdaguer—it can explode at any moment in our current world, so accurately radiographed by those demons back then.
2
What I did not expect when preparing the book of Demons was that the first episode of this explosion would be so spectacular and explosive, and that it would be real, so real that one can enter into the explosion, to listen as the electromagnetic energies of bodies, voices, brains, souls, and even objects intermingle, in a material environment all turned into a musical instrument, in order to make us understand that we are in the very center of a storm of contents that penetrate the mundane shell and possess us with such psychic violence that in the end, I no longer know if I am the demon waiting for me under the bed with a clanking of chains.
3
This work by cabosanroque is a spiritual fire of great proportions, a very controlled uncontrolled fire inside a piece (a room, an apartment, a play?) that beats with a technically millimeter-precise, perfect, inexorable breath, as if the metallic coldness of electricity and the hyper-smooth surfaces of inflatable plastics and the perfection of sound and image mechanisms and the chills of the unalterable surface of water were programmed by something uncontrolled that could not manifest otherwise. Matter and spirit continuously shuffle the deck, waging a strange war in which they are as soon allies as enemies. One end of the piece or room or apartment contrasts strongly and dissonantly with the other. And another part of the setup contrasts, strongly and disturbingly, with itself, too. The three visible human presences are all filmed. There is (first) a collection of faces expectant and at moments possessed by what they say, but with the doubt of whether they say it or it is not them, it seems that I am another who is another who is another, or “another thing.” And there is (second) the foreground of the mouth and mustache of the singer who bellows the sentences of the evil one from the mouth of hell, as if the small screens were that hole from the children’s song “hairy demon, not wanted in hell, you’ve passed through a hole and got your horns stuck,” and thus we have all appeared in the videos, as hornless demons. And there is (third) the woman who dances possessed by a self unknown to her that awakens contacts that slept in the most recondite part of the brain, with music that either comes from far away or from deep inside, because it seems that everything ends up turning into music and that all possessions and all immersions in the search for the What of all this turn into music, even at the moment when everything is silent because, deafened by silence, we can verify that we are surrounded, stalked, besieged by a flashing rosary of sentences, a red and black rosary of sentences from the Verdaguer of demons or the Demonized Verdaguer.
4
When I made the book, I first thought of titling it STRANGED FROM THE SPECTACLE, which is the first sentence of the first notebook, but eventually, I leaned towards DEMONS. To edit and present Verdaguer’s demonic notes, I immersed myself in them but trying not to fall into any of the pits that opened before me at every step nor deviate through the tunnels that were intuited at each branching, and I refer on one hand to the issues of Catholic norms (which if they hold an interest it is because of how they affected Verdaguer’s fate), and on the other to the current, unlimited, and endless theme of possession, to find out what possession is, why it presents itself like this, what happens… and I did not want to enter because I did not feel up to it, I was afraid of getting lost or drowning, so I limited myself to showing the notes as who says, look, guys, what it says here! The first act of this deepening that I did not do, or a first act of this transmental navigation, is what cabosanroque have done and do with this “expanded theater” while being reconcentrated, with this “strange spectacle,” with this beam of work.
