In 2015 Kunstmuseum Luzern and Lucerne Festival are continuing through the SOUNDZZ.Z.ZZZ…Z competition to foster exploration of the interface between visual arts and music for the third time. This years winner is the Swiss artist Johannes Willi (born in 1983 in Switzerland). Johannes Willi’s project stood out for its unique blend of visual art and classical music. The artist is interested in the tension between amateurism and professionalism, between craft like skill and artistic practice.

Inspired by this year’s Festival theme of «Humor». Johannes Willi will develop his project Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Using material from the hardware store and at his own discretion, with no special prior knowledge, the artist will single-handedly build all instruments comprising a complete symphony orchestra. Once completed, the hand-built instruments will be presented in the Kunstmuseum Luzern before being played by the musicians of the Lucerne Festival Academy. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony will be performed in the large KKL Luzern concert hall.

The uncertain quality of the instruments, the risk that the instruments will be demolished while they are played, and the unpredictable tuning of the pitches will pose challenges to the orchestra and are a constituent aspect of the program. The performance will be recorded on video and audio, the latter serving as the source for an LP pressing being produced as an artist’s edition. Afterward the instruments will be put on display again in the Kunstmuseum.