Discomfort Is Your Edge, The Myth of Competition, and Touching the Hand of God - with Hampus Lindwall

Carlos sits down with Paris-based organiste titulaire Hampus Lindwall directly from the nave of the Church of Saint-Esprit. They explore how a musician transforms a traditional institutional post into an avant-garde laboratory—bridging classical sacred architecture, 90s MTV culture, and contemporary visual art.Episode recorded Aug 2, 20261. The Professional Engine & Patronage Platform: Serving as resident organist since 2005 gives Hampus the physical space and cultural authority to curate Les Inspirations Visibles with Stephen O’Malley (packing the church for Kali Malone), commission organ-playing robots with Haroon Mirza, and mount retrospective exhibitions like Sonnitus Occulti at Villa Lontana in Rome.2. The Origin Story & Entry into Contemporary Art: Hooked on art as a kid when a family friend dragged him to museums; formed by early access to 90s MTV (Kate Bush, Nirvana, early rap) and Swedish electronic production. His entry into contemporary visual art accelerated through his 15-year partnership with artist Cory Arcangel, creating new, improbable scores for the pipe organ.3. The Edge & Advice: Most classical music functions like museum conservation (preserving 1750–1950). By internalizing net.art (JODI.org), electronics, and visual concepts into his daily practice, Hampus built a completely distinct edge. His core advice for any field: Competition is for losers—carve out a unique space where you have zero direct competition.Timestamped Chapters00:00 — Evening at Saint-Esprit: The Concrete Cathedral & Interwar Art02:34 — Filling the Gap: Les Inspirations Visibles with Stephen O’Malley07:23 — The Sacred Engine: John Armleder, Keith Haring, and Art in Churches12:03 — Is Classical Performance Just Museum Conservation?16:05 — The MTV Antenna, Tennis, and Early Swedish Pop Production24:08 — Working with Cory Arcangel, Haroon Mirza, and Organ Robots30:11 — The SWAT Team Principle: Being First to the Avant-Garde35:18 — YouTube Algorithms, Attention Spans, and Arthur Danto’s Brillo Box41:54 — "Competition is for Losers": Carving an Uncopyable Path