Lorenzo Pontillo Transforms Wind into Music with Ánemoi Sound Art Installation

Italian sound artist Lorenzo Pontillo (born 1997 in Verona) presented his first sound art project, Ánemoi, on the island of Pantelleria in 2023. The installation, created in collaboration with Davide Anzaldi, uses data from a weather station on the island—including wind direction, intensity, and cloud cover—to generate musical compositions. Each musical track corresponds to a cardinal direction and a specific wind of Pantelleria, blending scientific data with artistic interpretation. The work was developed during a residency at Caserma delle arti, founded by artist Filippo Panseca, who encouraged Pontillo to keep the piece immaterial. Pontillo cites field recording and Canadian composer France Jobin as influences. The project aims to make the invisible force of wind tangible through sound, emphasizing the spatial and perceptual aspects of sound art. Pontillo and Anzaldi are planning to add a performative component to the work. The artist, who grew up between Verona and Pantelleria, states that the project could only have been conceived on the wind-dominated island.