Concert

“The Architecture of Friendship” is a collective project inspired by the notion of ecosystem and the value of interdependence, led by the Spanish composer/engineer Santiago Latorre. The group takes its name from the words of Hannah Arendt, who after being accused of lack of love for the Jews, responded: “You are quite right. I don’t love any people – neither the French nor the North American nor the Jewish nor the Blacks. I love only my friends.” The project began as an exploration of real-time vocal manipulations. After being away from music-making for several years due to an injury in both arms, Latorre started experimenting with contactless movement sensors to modify the sound of his voice, looking to regain the feeling of playing an instrument. This first exploration grew and shifted through collaborations with artists and friends within the ecosystem of the Sound Laboratory at the Etopia Center for Art and Technology in Zaragoza. American composer Colin Self, Colombian artist Carlos María Romero, and Spanish singer Nieves Arilla came together to produce the “Architecture of Friendship” music album. The sequence of songs is offered as a hinge on which to activate and exercise empathy, awaken hope and recharge enthusiasm, perhaps even encouraging care between the familiar and odd. For this performance, in collaboration with Spanish choreographer Sara Paniagua, the artists developed a prototype of a technology for using sound and movement to control lights on stage.