It was impossible to know what to expect from the May 18 concert at the YV Museum. The photo alone does not conjure the possibilities of sound and motion that are created by this metal sculpture composed of some recognizable parts (Buddha head, horse shoes, hubcaps, parts of wheels, hoses, levers, switches to name a few) and many many other metal parts. They were assembled by Viktor Lois, sculptor, musician, and cofounder of YV Museum, over the course of two years when Covid created a reason for him to stay inside and focus on his artwork.
Viktor has made many musical instruments over his long career, and many of them are displayed (and sometimes demonstrated) in the upstairs portion of the museum.
Starting in Hungary, where he was born, Viktor collaborated with other musicians who also created non-traditional instruments, and some of the footage from that time was shown silently on screen during the performance. One could see the long haired “hippie” of Viktor’s youth, which he remarked was not easy in Hungary, as authorities could order young people to cut their hair or be thrown in jail or suffer other consequences. Viktor’s enthusiasm has obviously translated across the continents and the decades and his passion remains focused and clear.
“I need to concentrate!” he exclaimed as his wife encouraged him to begin the concert. The operation of this fantastical looking apparatus certainly required extensive knowledge of the machine he had assembled, and the many ways in which it could emit sound.
Viktor began with a layering of sounds and rhythms, some low and humming, others sharper and tapping. Some were whirring sounds, some were higher notes that he was able to manipulate and alter in pitch to go up or down. There was a pedal to speed it up, and afterward I could see the levers that turned various parts of it on or off. Viktor physically moved around the instrument in order to create different sounds in the one-piece percussion ensemble. At times one could hear a plucking sound, a scraping or the beat like a bass drum. Once there was the sense of a locomotive moving along.
Viktor treated us to a vast and evolving variety of combinations of all of the above: a limitless array of sounds and effects. Visuals on the screen above sometimes included desolate landscapes, sometimes one person or more playing an instrument. Viktor pointed out the backdrop of the Danube in one scene when he played with other musicians.
At 74, Viktor is in peak form, generating new and innovative ways for us to listen, to hear, and to appreciate what is possible when imagination is given free reign. If you are interested in exploring the unexpected, drop in on a concert of Viktor Lois’s unpredictable instruments. You’ll be glad you did.
The Acton Exchange has published two other articles about the YV Art Museum, in April, 2025 and in August, 2024. For more information about the YV Art Museum, see their website.
Meg Stafford is an award winning author of two memoirs, speaker, storyteller and columnist. Her forty years as a licensed psychotherapist have provided invaluable insight into the quirks and passions of the human experience.