Claudia Comte, Swiss artist, launches Lightning Symphony, a monumental 52-meter inflatable sculpture installed on Basel’s Messeplatz as part of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 celebrations. Lightning Symphony transforms sound into a tangible spatial experience, inviting visitors to walk through a glowing outdoor corridor shaped like undulating sound waves of popular music.
From the exterior, the sculpture's flowing black contours trace the iconic waveforms of popular classics and modern anthems, making the otherwise invisible form visible. Inside, LED lights pulsate in rhythmic waves, animating the structure with a luminous soundbeat – creating an almost meditative encounter. Described as music in motion, the installation serves as a vibrant celebration of rhythm, community, and the unifying power of sound.
Described by Comte as both “a stage and a sanctuary,” Lightning Symphony transcends its physical form to become a symbol of community and connection. It invites people of all backgrounds to experience sound not just as something to hear, but as something to inhabit—an artistic gesture to the power of music as a universal language.
Open to the public from May 10 to 17, the installation stands as the artistic centerpiece of the Eurovision festivities in Basel, supported by the Christoph Merian Foundation