The story of Alvin Lucier and his immortal brain
- René Delacroix
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
In a groundbreaking fusion of art, music, biology, and technology, the late experimental composer Alvin Lucier (1931–2021) is “composing” new works posthumously via a living brain‑organoid installation titled Revivification at the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA), Perth.
How It Works Alvin Lucier immortal brain
Blood donation & lab-grown mini‑brain In 2020, Lucier donated blood, which was sent to Harvard Medical School. Scientists reprogrammed his white blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells and guided them to develop into cerebral organoids—three‑dimensional, lab‑grown “mini‑brains” that mimic early human neural development .
Electrode mesh & neural interface Within a custom 64‑electrode mesh, these organoids’ neural activity is recorded and interpreted in real time wvxu.org+10theguardian.com+10artgallery.wa.gov.au+10. The resulting signals are fed to an array of 20 parabolic brass plates—each equipped with transducers and mallets—generating resonant, evolving soundscapes throughout the gallery artgallery.wa.gov.au+10kdll.org+10kaxe.org+10.
Feedback system The installation is truly interactive: ambient sound and plate resonances are recorded in the gallery, converted into electrical stimuli, and fed back into the organoids—creating a responsive, feedback-driven performance theguardian.com.
The Creators & Collaboration
The project is the brainchild of the Revivification Collective—artists Guy Ben‑Ary, Nathan Thompson, Matt Gingold, and neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts (University of Western Australia). They worked closely with Lucier from as early as 2018, holding discussions via Zoom and continuing into his final years artgallery.wa.gov.au+11theguardian.com+11artgallery.wa.gov.au+11.
Lucier's experimental ethos—perfecting the music of echo, brainwaves, and objects—made him an ideal collaborator. Although he passed in 2021, his donated cells enabled a living continuation of his artistry .
Philosophical & Ethical Dimensions
This installation raises unsettling yet profound questions:
Creator beyond death: Does Lucier still create, or is this emergent behavior independent of his conscious intent?
Consciousness & intentionality: Critics like Indre Viskontas (University of San Francisco) argue the organoids lack intention or consciousness—essential components of "true" creativity .
Ethics of synthetic life: Organoids can react to stimuli and evoke sensations, but remain far from sentient. Still, debates persist on biological rights and agency .
Science Meets Art
While primarily an artistic endeavor, Revivification also contributes valuable neural data. Human brain organoids are emerging tools for neuroscience—studying development, disease, and even rudimentary networks—but none match the ethical or conceptual depth of this project artgallery.wa.gov.au+12theguardian.com+12artgallery.wa.gov.au+12.
Alvin Lucier immortal brain
What’s Next?
AGWA’s exhibition runs until August 3, 2025 artgallery.wa.gov.au.
The team hopes Lucier’s organoid might “learn” over time, potentially evolving the soundscape—offering a living, composer-initiated legacy theguardian.com.
Ambitious plans even hint at deploying the system in space or extreme environments, testing the boundaries of “creativity in exile” .
Final Thoughts
Revivification reframes music as a biological and ethical frontier—where composition meets cultured neural tissue. It confronts us with questions of legacy, identity, and what defines “creative agency.” Alvin Lucier, the man fascinated by neural resonance, transcends death—not only in memory, but in dynamic, living sound.
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