Núria Moliner: "I've never built a house. I'm an architect who decided not to build."

BarcelonaNúria Moliner (Barcelona, 1991) is an architect who has never built a house. She gave it up to dedicate herself to creating television programs, creating songs and singing them with her group Intana, and writing a book based on her experience sleeping in other people's houses (God cases God nights). One of the pleasant surprises of the 3Cat menu, these last few weeks, is Between four walls, a space in which Núria Moliner enters with empathy and delicacy into homes as diverse as those of Bojan Krkic and Peyu, the squatted apartment of actress Patrícia Bargalló, and the home of Ana Viladomiu, the only resident of La Pedrera.

Your profile is one of the most unique I've seen lately: architect, musician, and television presenter. How does this fit together?

— I don't know, I have a lot of concerns. I don't see them as separate things; it all comes from the same place, from the desire to express things.

These are all works on display. Are you worried about how others see them?

— More than worrying, I'm interested in connecting, sharing emotions, and if the person's perspective isn't there, nothing I do makes sense.

What is the ultimate meaning of architecture?

— Improving people's lives.

And what about music?

— Maybe it's the same. Life, without music, would be a mistake, they say. Music is more volatile, more ephemeral, which makes it more magical. It accompanies us throughout life, magnifies emotions, and represents us. I think listening to music and making it is what fulfills me the most.

And the ultimate meaning of television?

— Television is many things, but it also creates knowledge, makes us think, and brings us closer to other perspectives.

In your last program on 3Cat, Between four walls, you go to the houses of people you know and talk to them. I think you could stay overnight and be The guest!

— I love that we have that connection, I told you that. We've drawn from the work you've done on projects like The guest, and we respect it a lot. Yes, I have stayed overnight for a book I wrote called God cases God nightsHere, I've literally slept in someone else's house to experience the intimacy of the night, the first rays of sunlight, and being part of someone's life for 24 hours. But on the TV show, we like to start and end the episode the same way, with these more observational scenes, about the lives of the people who are there and who are still there. We just came, we left, and that intimacy remains.

When was the last time you moved?

— A year and a half ago. I've moved a lot, I'm pretty tired. Wait, I'll count the numbers. I've lived in seven different houses—six moves—since I became independent ten years ago. I spent my entire childhood in Badalona and the rest of it in Barcelona.

What is your house like?

— It's a house that has brought me a lot of happiness, because it's much quieter and brighter than other apartments. I lived in Gràcia for many years, a neighborhood I love very much, but I also felt the hostility of gentrification. Seeing how the neighborhood was changing every day was a form of violence for me. I went to a neighborhood that, luckily, is a kind of Barcelona I thought no longer existed, that is still real, that has local businesses...

What neighborhood is it?

— I'd rather not say it, precisely because I'm afraid it might change. Maybe I'll say it someday, but for now, I'm protecting this neighborhood. It's a very bright and quiet apartment, a basic feel that's hard to believe we can't find everywhere, because this brings joy.

What is a house?

— I think it's the backdrop for our lives. It's a shelter, but it's much more than that.

What did you reply to the last person who asked you: "Núria, what do I do: buy or rent?"

— No one has asked me, because it's very difficult. And if you can, you buy. Renting is the way to transfer money from people who have less to people who have more. Therefore, if you can buy, you should buy, because it will get worse and will be a factor in poverty.

But you, with all your work, haven't you bought anything?

— Because I can't. And the most powerful thing is that I feel lucky because I have a job I love, and I always look for it. And yet, it's very difficult to afford a home in Barcelona.

What does it mean that you always look for work?

— Everything that happens is very difficult to get out. I always think it's the last thing I'll do. Literally. Every season, every show, I've thought it was the last time I'd do it. Making television programs about culture is very difficult, and I'm very grateful that there are public television channels that take the plunge. But the thing is, television programs about architectural culture are an even smaller niche. I've always thought it was a miracle.

What is the last house you built as an architect?

— I haven't studied any. I studied architecture, but from the very beginning I saw that I was interested in culture in general, in art. I studied music, beyond my studies. My father is an architect, so he was good at the rational side, but I thought he was as good at the artistic side. I saw it as a starting point that could take me to many places. I'm an architect who deliberately decided not to build. I worked for a few months in studios when I was still a student. It's also an ethical decision, because I didn't want to contribute to the social and environmental impact that construction often has. It was a dual factor: ethical, not doing things I don't believe in, and also out of a passion for culture and communication.

Architecture, music, television: which of these disciplines do you think will be the last you'll abandon?

— I hope not. In fact, I'm eager to add things to it. I'm very restless. My mother has always told me I'm like a rocket. A well-directed rocket can also be positive, but I have this restlessness of not stopping, of doing a thousand things. I can't sit still, I make up projects. My sister is an actress and studied a degree that has very little to do with acting. I studied architecture, but I can do many things; anything is possible. I want to do things that excite me. Perhaps the first thing I would give up is architecture.

Where did you go on vacation last summer?

— It's very hard, I didn't take any vacation. So you can see the situation. I worked so hard that I only had three days of vacation in August. I got a burnout incredible, because I couldn't even enjoy those three days. I didn't even have time to slow down.

You talk so much about sustainability, but this doesn't seem very sustainable, personally.

— It was a very, very nice year, because I had so many opportunities, and you can't say no. I worked weekends, I put in all the hours on the clock...

What does it mean that you can't say no?

— I don't have that privilege. And I also want to take advantage of opportunities on projects I've worked so hard to achieve. I'm trying to make up for it. I'm currently planning a trip for September.

What's the last decision you made thinking about the planet and not yourself?

— I think many. I haven't flown in many years. Now I accept the contradictions and limitations of the life I lead, but for many years when I was filming and had to travel for work in Spain, I took very long trains instead of planes with so many CO2 emissions.₂I don't eat meat. I've been vegan for many years; I'm trying to reduce emissions, also in that sense. I feel like I've made many decisions with environmental ethics at the center, and now I'm in a period where I'm pushing myself so hard on so many levels that, although I've felt a lot of eco-anxiety and I'm an environmentalist and a very committed person, I'm at a stage where I accept the contradictions. I think that in the face of dystopia, there must also be some hedonism and enjoyment of life. Finding a balance.

What is the last treat you have allowed yourself?

— I went to New York with my family, and it was very nice. I also like the fact that hedonism is a part of my life.

And the last Airbnb you stayed at?

— No, no, I don't remember. Maybe one from many years ago, but I try not to. I look for other accommodations that hopefully are a little more conscientious about the place. But, again, I accept the contradictions, and everyone does what they can.

What is the last tattoo you got?

— How do you know I have tattoos?

I've seen at least one of you on TV.

— I made them all around the same time, and now maybe I'd take some off. They're tiny, and they all have a meaning. I think the last one was here [points to a rib, next to her left breast]. It says "Intana," which is the name of my music group, which is how I used to say "ant" as a kid, and don't ask me why. I liked that thing about the imaginary world we have as kids, which is good not to lose. I also have two verses that my grandmother wrote for me, in her handwritten font.

Of all the items you have at home, which is the last one you'd get rid of? The star item, the one you ask for on your TV show.

— I inherited an analog camera from my grandfather. I like taking photos. Sometimes I think I'd like to take photos with my eyes, to capture those things that elude us.

What happened the last time you had to deal with the police?

— I don't think I've ever had to deal. I've never been stopped. I'd say no, that's tough.

What were you demanding at the last demonstration you participated in?

— The right to housing.

What is the latest song you made with your group Intana about?

— We're about to release it. It talks about this phase I'm in: it's very difficult to slow down, I can't stop, I struggle to find quality moments, we just keep going up and down and working. It'll be called If and say the truth.

This phase you're in connects with a lot of people, it seems like one of the evils of that society.

— Yes, it's very difficult to set boundaries. If you're self-employed, if you have a team, a small business... It's difficult for everyone; we're working more and more. How do you see it?

There's also a generation now, perhaps the one below yours, who are clear that work can't be everything in life.

— Absolutely. I'm very clear about the theory, I'm very aware of it, but it's hard to find balance. I'm also someone who has decided not to take easy jobs. I was presented with the opportunity to have a permanent, stable, well-paid, public job, the job everyone in my university class wanted. And I said no, because it didn't excite me. I guess we want it all. Work becomes your life, you make really good friends, and it's not the only part of your life, but it's like a kind of magma.

The last words of the interview are yours.

Oh, that's difficult! How do you expect it to end? I hope the next time we see each other, I'll be at that stage where I can enjoy more free time, but at the same time feel as lucky as I do now.