Cold Border
Isabel Archs
Cold Border is the construction of a fragile, fluid, and dynamic space to reclaim our humanity. For four years, Isabel Archs worked as a frontline nurse in one of the largest hospitals in Catalonia. This project is rooted in the memory of the people who passed away before her.
Cold Border is a project born from the need to break away from the anonymity of the final voice—the one that escapes from beings on the threshold of death. It seeks to precisely reposition words, to give them shape and warmth, and thus find a way to confront death without taboo. In the times we live in, it is a way of protesting against fragility. With Cold Border, Archs develops a transient visual and auditory performance aimed at activating each individual’s perception of the fact that, no matter who we are or how different we may be, there is something we will inevitably share.
For the past two years, she has been conducting photographic research on this subject. What if she could give all those words a place to exist once more? What if she could give them a new structure, in a different and sensitive language? Perhaps we need to hear these voices again to understand our human fragility as a weapon for reclaiming ourselves and rediscovering our humanity.
Isabel Archs
Isabel Archs is a musician, photographer, and independent music producer based in Barcelona. She holds a degree in violin performance from the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu, specializing in classical and contemporary music. She works in the fields of classical and experimental music, collaborating with various ensembles and orchestras. Her research focuses on multidisciplinary projects such as Ölivias and theatrical productions. For the past four years, she has been artistically exploring the themes of death and mourning.