There are moments in the creative process when fatigue and doubts seem to take over. During the five years it took to create Doppelganger, there were times when I wanted to abandon the project. The weight of the work and uncertainty seemed insurmountable. However, during those dark moments, something always emerged to restore my light. Something like Ignacio Montoya Carlotto's music. His sound gave me strength—a renewing energy that pushed me to keep going, to not give up.
From the very beginning, Ignacio believed in this project. His unwavering belief in Doppelganger was essential for me to stay on track. Even though we were separated by thousands of kilometers, I felt a deep and genuine connection, an unspoken understanding that art has the power to cross physical boundaries, to unite what is distant. Ignacio not only contributed his music to the exhibition, but through his work, he personally gave me the strength to continue, to keep believing that what I was creating wasn’t only possible, but necessary.
The album The Other Side, composed entirely by Ignacio Montoya Carlotto, is an auditory testament to our connection through art. Carlos Orlando, his collaborator, accompanied him by playing the oboe, one of the instruments that added a unique and magical touch to the compositions. Together, they managed to create a powerful piece that beautifully accompanies the exhibition. What’s interesting is that, at the time, the title of the work I was creating was also The Other Side. The album was named this precisely because it reflected that same concept: the existence of an “other side,” a symbolic space we all access through art, music, and memory. However, shortly before the exhibition’s premiere, the name of the exhibition changed to Doppelganger, representing duality, the idea of doubles, reflections, and what is hidden versus what is visible. A concept that became the core of the entire project. Yet, Ignacio's album retained its original title, as an echo of that initial shared thought.
The most fascinating part of all this is that the cover of The Other Side is, in fact, one of the paintings from Doppelganger. This wasn’t by chance. The artwork, designed with meticulous attention to detail, became the perfect visual representation of the essence of the exhibition. Both works, the visual and the auditory, are intrinsically connected, as if they feed off each other, as if together they speak the same language.
But the coincidences don’t stop there. Something truly amazing happened on August 5, the day of the Doppelganger premiere. It was on that very day that actor Itamar Elvas, who portrays Ignacio’s testimony in the play, realized that his character had a much deeper connection to Ignacio’s story than initially imagined. That same day, Ignacio also discovered who his biological parents were. This kind of synchronicity between people’s lives, between art and reality, is one of the great marvels that art offers us. It not only connects us across time, but it also allows us to witness deep, transformative moments.
Every time I listen to The Other Side, I feel there is something new to discover. Ignacio’s compositions don’t just accompany the work; they bring it to life, adding depth and emotion. Each piece has the ability to transform the atmosphere, adding another layer of meaning to everything that happens on stage. Ignacio’s music is like a river that constantly flows, with nuances that change with each listen. In each of his notes, I find a new interpretation, a new way to connect with the project, the testimony, and the memory.
Thank you, Ignacio, for your music, your generosity, and your unwavering support. Thank you for your belief in Doppelganger, for being part of something that transcends the individual, the personal, to become a collective experience. Thank you for being the bridge between the past and the present, between art and memory, for teaching us that art has the power to connect, heal, and empower. And most of all, thank you for helping us cross, with your music, to that “other side” where everything we’ve lived and learned transforms into something extraordinary.
Jessica Sharon
15-8-2024
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