Concept: Dr. Heinz Stahlhut, Director Hans Erni Museum, in cooperation with Michael Haefliger, Director Lucerne Festival

In March 2011, the region off the Japanese Pacific coast was shaken by a severe earthquake, which in turn triggered a tsunami. This caused enormous destruction in an area of 500 km2 and claimed more than 20,000 lives. 
In response to this disaster, the British-Indian artist Sir Anish Kapoor and the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki joined forces on the initiative of Michael Haefliger, the artistic director of the Lucerne Festival, to develop a mobile concert hall. The aim was to use music to help support the population in the devastated regions. After several performances of the concert hall in Japan, it will now be set up and played for 11 days at the Lucerne Festival in 2025 on Lucerne's Lido meadow in the immediate vicinity of the Museum of Transport and the Hans Erni Museum. 

At the same time and after the Ark Nova has been dismantled, an exhibition will be on display at the Hans Erni Museum until 12.10. 2025.2025, an exhibition will illustrate the genesis and use of this unique building, which oscillates between architecture and sculpture. 

Models and documents, photographs and films will be used to show visitors the conceptual and technical development of the temporary event architecture and illustrate its deliberately diverse and low-threshold cultural use. Guided tours and discussions in the exhibition also explore the topic in greater depth. An accompanying publication sheds light on various aspects of this extraordinary concert hall.

Caption:
Ark Nova during her residency in Tokyo Midtown District, Tokyo 2017
© 2025 Werke Anish Kapoor, ProLitteris, Zurich; © Werke Arata Isozaki, Estate Arata Isozaki; © Photo: Geoffroy Schied, Munich