Interview: Creator Transforms Nobel Prize Banquet into an Engaging Experience
This year, the Nobel Foundation chose to innovate its annual banquet, taking place every December in the city hall of Stockholm. For the first time in its remarkable 125-year legacy, the organization set aside tradition and shifted towards modern art in the form of an immersive, four-part experience. Central to this initiative was Alexander Wessely, whose imaginative vision encompasses a range of elements including photography, fashion, music, sculpture, large-scale installations, and scenography.
Fortunately, Wessely is well-acquainted with monumental ventures. Over his career, the Greek-Swedish artist has partnered with icons like Avicii, the Weeknd, Grimes, FKA Twigs, and Swedish House Mafia, crafting dynamic presentations whose vigor perfectly fits the environments in which they take place. His visuals, stage designs, videos, and installations burst with texture; they shimmer with color; and they attain a magnitude so grand that it’s nearly impossible to look away and remain uninvolved. In many respects, these vibrant aesthetics stem from Wessely’s beginnings as a graffiti artist. During the 1990s, he frequently traversed Stockholm, leaving behind striking designs and vibrant splashes of color.
“For me, being multidisciplinary is not about diversity, but necessity,” Wessely shares with My Modern Met. “Each project requires its own language, and I follow that instead of adhering to a single medium. I transition between sculpture, light, film, sound, and spatial design because some ideas simply can’t thrive in isolation.”
Given his varied output, it’s almost obvious that Wessely’s practice is built upon collaboration. His contribution to the 2025 Nobel Prize banquet is no exception. For this project, he reunited with composer Jacob Mühlrad, with whom he has collaborated for nearly ten years. Together, they expertly merged music and light, all of which enhanced the ceremony’s overall theme of “bridging worlds.” Additionally, the venue itself played a significant role. Established over a century ago, the Stockholm City Hall resonates with history and tradition, necessitating a delicate and respectful treatment. The result of their collaboration was a subtle yet triumphant visual landscape, enriched by Mühlrad’s quantum physics-inspired experiments.
“Jacob’s work possesses a profound sense of structure and transcendence simultaneously. That strongly resonates with my own methodology,” Wessely elaborates. “We didn’t intend to simply illustrate one another, but to synchronize in rhythm and intention. The exchange took place through timing, silence, and pacing rather than direct translation.”
My Modern Met had the opportunity to talk with Alexander Wessely regarding his creative journey, his partnership with Mühlrad, and the influences behind their Nobel Prize installation. Read on for our exclusive interview with the multidisciplinary artist.
What does being a multidisciplinary artist signify for you, and is there a particular medium that captivates you the most?
For me, being multidisciplinary is about necessity, not variety. Each project requires its own language, and I adhere to that rather than committing to a singular medium. I navigate between sculpture, light, film, sound, and spatial design because certain concepts simply cannot exist in isolation. If there’s a constant, it is space itself—space as something shaped, activated, and perceived through the body.
Throughout your career, you emphasize collaboration across various sectors, creatives, and organizations. What initially attracted you to this collaborative nature, and how has it influenced your creative process?
Collaboration was never a strategy; it has always been a condition. My work has consistently thrived at the intersection of disciplines, where no single field provides all the answers. Engaging with composers, architects, engineers, musicians, or institutions compels the work to resist complacency. It sharpens choices and introduces friction, which I see as essential. Collaboration doesn’t diminish authorship for me; it tests it.
What recurring themes do you find yourself exploring, and how do you embody them in your large-scale projects?
I often revisit themes of ritual, perception, and the interplay between the physical and the immaterial. Light, the body, time, and belief are constant elements. In major works, these themes manifest through restraint rather than spectacle. I’m intrigued by how subtle adjustments in light, scale, or rhythm can transform a space entirely and influence how a body navigates through it.
How did your latest project with the Nobel Prize come to fruition?
The project arose from a dialogue concerning the musical program created by Jacob Mühlrad. The Nobel Prize was keen on investigating how light could become a core aspect of the ceremonial experience instead of just a decorative addition. That openness allowed for a visual piece that could coexist on equal terms with the music and architecture.
What was your experience collaborating with Mühlrad, and how did both of your artistic perspectives inform one another?
Jacob’s work carries a deep sense of structure and transcendence at the same time. That resonates strongly with my own approach.