A Piece Of Alvin Lucier Lives On

Revivification: Alvin Lucier's Brain Still Composing After Death

Alvin Lucier (1931–2021) was one of the most influential experimental composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Best known for pieces like I Am Sitting in a Room—where he recorded his voice repeating in a space until the room's resonances dominated—he pushed the limits of perception, feedback, and unconventional sound sources. His work often explored how processes themselves become the music.

Lucier passed away in 2021 at age 90, but his creative legacy didn't fully end there. In a groundbreaking bio-art installation called Revivification, a living "mini-brain" grown from his own cells continues to generate music in real time. This isn't simulation or AI—it's biological tissue from Lucier actively driving an evolving soundscape.

Portrait of Alvin Lucier, experimental composer

Alvin Lucier in his element, working with experimental sound equipment. (Credit: Public domain archival photo)

How Revivification Works

The project began in 2018 as a collaboration between Lucier and a team of Australian artists and scientists: Guy Ben-Ary, Nathan Thompson, Matt Gingold, and neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts (from the University of Western Australia). In 2020, Lucier donated blood samples for the endeavor.

  • His white blood cells were reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
  • These were differentiated into cerebral organoids—small, 3D clusters of neurons mimicking aspects of a developing human brain (though far simpler, without consciousness).
  • The organoids live in an incubator on a central plinth. They're interfaced with a 64-electrode mesh capturing spontaneous electrical activity.
  • These neural signals are amplified and routed to electromechanical mallets, which strike 20 large, handcrafted brass plates on the walls.
  • The strikes produce resonant tones that fill the space, with microphones sometimes feeding sounds back for loops—echoing Lucier's fascination with resonance and feedback.

The result is an immersive, ever-changing "performance" running for the exhibition's duration. It's a direct extension of Lucier's ethos: process and environment shape the output, here with a biological "performer" literally part of him.

Revivification installation with brass plates

The immersive gallery space with 20 brass plates struck by mallets driven by Lucier's organoid signals. (Credit: Revivification team / AGWA)

Artists with the central plinth in Revivification

Artists Guy Ben-Ary (left) and others with the organoid plinth surrounded by brass resonators. (Credit: The West Australian)

The Bigger Questions

Revivification raises profound issues at the intersection of art, science, and philosophy:

  • What does it mean to "extend" a life or creative agency beyond biological death?
  • Where does authorship lie when a work is driven by living cells rather than conscious intent?
  • How do we grapple with the ethics of using human-derived organoids in art?

It's not about resurrection—the organoids are basic neural structures, not a mind. But it poetically blurs boundaries between creator and creation, life and legacy.

View of the brass plates in the dark gallery

The glowing brass plates in the immersive Revivification environment. (Credit: Revivification team)

Where to Experience or Learn More

This project stands as one of the most audacious examples of bio-art yet—tender, eerie, and deeply in line with Lucier's experimental spirit. If you're into avant-garde music, bio-art, or the edges of science and creativity, it's worth diving into the documentation.

Posted on February 13th 2026 – Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

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