Joan Brossa didn't make me

12/04/2024. Tàpies’s chairs. Performance. Fundació Tàpies. Barcelona.

07/06/2024–13/10/2024. 22 holes to make a requiem. Installation. Bòlit, Centre d’Art Contemporani. Girona.

10/06/2024–12/01/2025. Politones, Suite for desk phones. Installation. Fundación Telefónica. Madrid.

30/10/2024–17/11/2024. The crying beaver. Expanded theatre. Teatro de la Compañía Nacional de Teatro Clásico. Madrid.

06/11/2024–10/11/2024. Demons. Expanded theatre. Shaubude. Berlin.

22/11/2024–24/11/2024. The crying beaver. Expanded theatre. Festival Temporada Alta. Girona.

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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First part of the trilogy Three ways to enter.

Plastic cups, teaspoons, typewriters, measuring tapes, bottle tops, combs and other everyday objects feature in a production in which the drama goes beyond the conventional space and limits of the stage. It is a mechanical opera, a large installation with no apparent narrative, object theatre with no actors or manipulators, just a pile of objects that move by themselves and create changing landscapes.

The public faces with this accumulation of objects forming a kind of walkable poem in which the voices have been stripped of their bodies. The starting point for the production is the little-known early prose of Joan Brossa and the sonority of his phonetic poetry from the 1940s, recited by people with functional diversity.

Joan Brossa Didn’t Make Me premiered in 2016 and has since been seen by more than 25,000 people all over Europe.

Concept, creation, dramaturgy, direction, sound design, composition, and scenography: Cabosanroque (Laia Torrents Carulla, Roger Aixut Sampietro)

Recorded voices from: COIET de Banyoles (Specialized care service for adults with disabilities in the Pla de L’estany area): Mª Ángeles Verge Mata, Pau Fernández Pujol, Eduard Martí Vergé, Alex Alba, Jonathan Perasa, Carmelita Puigdemont, Jordi Saubí Gironès.

“Brossa Didn’t Do It To Me” is a co-production of cabosanroque, National Theatre of Catalonia, Temporada Alta 2016 Festival, The Institution of Catalan Letters, the Brossa Foundation, and the Lluís Coromina Foundation. Supported by the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Photography: José Hevia

Festival BAD Bilbao, Teatros del Canal (Madrid), Schaubude (Berlin), Sonica Festival (Glasgow), Festival MIMA (Mirepoix), Arts Santa Mònica (Barcelona), Temporada Alta (Girona), Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (Barcelona)

Joans. Perejaume

“Brossa Didn’t Do It To Me” is a creation by Cabosanroque from materials largely related to Brossa. The piece begins with the poet’s voice, Wagner’s music, and puffs of smoke over a heap of things. In the voice cut, Brossa recalls experiences from the battle of Segre. From the trench, the words immediately place us in a double avant-garde: the fight against the fascists and the literary avant-garde. And at the same time, it places the fighter in the midst of the double aspect that the word magic will have throughout his work. The playful and festive magic on one side: “There was a cannon bombardment. Yes, it was night, and, to me, it seemed like a Saint John’s Eve party. Just the same: sssssst the rockets and bam bam bam the thunder, right?” And the deeper magic on the other: “I was with the binoculars, then I heard someone calling me: Joan! Then I turn around, I go back, and at that moment: whizz, in the place where I was standing comes a flare, but a flare that didn’t explode, because if it had exploded it would have killed me. So, of course, I was inside a trench, at the back part, and I look, and there was no one. Then I walk a bit, a guy comes and asks me “What happened to you?”. I was like this, all black, and I said: “Oh, weren’t you calling me?”. “No, No”. This was very curious. I heard Joan and there was no one”.

In a poem included in 30 Division (1950), Brossa refers to this episode of the war as “the second birth”.

I am alone, surrounded

by sacks, in an observation post.

A voice shouts “Joan”.

I return to the trench and, upon finding

that there was no one, a bomb falls

in the place where I was previously standing

which, failing to detonate,

fills me with smoke and the smell

of roast. My ears whistle.

Then

I am transferred, lying

on a stretcher,

and I look, as best I can, at the sky.

(Like Wotan, wisdom

costs me an eye) …

If there’s a second birth in Brossa’s literary work, this birth is marked by the book Me hizo Joan Brossa (1951) which represents the most visible turn towards a daily, naked, and flat poetry. Joâo Cabral de Melo, in the prologue, emphasizes it: “This book gathers the first steps that Brossa took out of the atmosphere imbued with magic made of papier-mâché”. The statement might be a bit too simple. The steps, Brossa, does not take them out of the magic atmosphere, but within. It’s as if Brossa, to take these steps, doubled himself, with no confrontation between one Brossa and the other. Pere Gimferrer expresses it like this: “Brossa is, at the same time, a great lyric poet and the critique of a great lyric poet”. A sum of Joans, then. But also, a multiplication of Joans. Not in vain, the book’s title comes from an altar front of Sant Martí de Guía (13th century) where one can read: IO(HANNE)S PINTOR ME FECIT”.

Multiplications, steps, sleights of hand. In 1978, Brossa would again title a book with the signature: Three Joans, a tribute from him and Joan Miró to Joan Prats. Joan Amades wrote a book titled The Magic of the Name (1959). Right from the start, the book says: To exist one must have a name, since before being called nothing exists”; it’s impossible not to think of the gospel of Joan. In each of these names, the solitude of the name resonates, but at the same time, it points to a possible, shared writing, in this case, a Joan-like writing of names full of Joans, Joanots, and Joanics, sometimes articulating among themselves, and at times resting on one another.

The ability of speech or writing to make things appear or disappear is fascinating. Let’s return now to the voice cut, with the colloquial intonation with which Brossa speaks of the sleight of hand of the one who, with a certain angelism, only hears being called: “This was very curious. I heard Joan and there was no one”. And let’s listen again, in the background, to the fires of the night of Saint John (Sant Joan). And suddenly, Laia and Roger from Cabosanroque appear, titling their work Brossa Didn’t Do It To Me

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Joan Brossa didn’t make me

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