Revivification, a groundbreaking project, brings back the US composer Alvin Lucier through lab-grown mini-brains, sparking essential questions about AI, authorship, and creativity.
In a groundbreaking experiment, a team of artists and scientists has resurrected the US composer Alvin Lucier, four years after his death. The project, titled Revivification, uses lab-grown ‘mini-brains’ to compose music in real-time, raising essential questions about AI, authorship, and creativity.
Alvin Lucier is an American composer known for his work in the fields of experimental and avant-garde music.
Born on October 29, 1931, in New Hampshire, USA, Lucier's compositions often explore the relationship between sound and space.
He is particularly famous for his work 'I Am Sitting in a Room', which uses real-time audio processing to create an immersive experience.
Lucier has been active since the 1960s and has released numerous albums, collaborating with various artists and ensembles.
The Birth of a New Sound
In a dimly lit room, a fractured symphony of rattles, hums, and warbles fills the air. No musicians are present, yet the sound is alive with an otherworldly energy. At the heart of this phenomenon lies Alvin Lucier‘s lab-grown ‘mini-brain,’ which has been programmed to compose music in real-time.
A Collaboration Like No Other
The Revivification team, comprising artists and scientists from around the world, came together to bring Lucier‘s vision to life. The project was a culmination of years of brainstorming, with the team working closely with Alvin Lucier until his passing in 2021. His donated blood cells were reprogrammed into stem cells, which were then transformed into cerebral organoids – clusters of neurons that mimic the human brain.
A Symphony of Sound and Signal
The installation features 20 large parabolic brass plates, each equipped with a transducer and a mallet. These respond to neural signals from the mini-brain, generating a breathless, disembodied soundtrack that echoes Lucier‘s lifelong fascination with neural signals, acoustics, and space.
A New Frontier in Art and Science
Revivification is more than just an artistic experiment – it’s a pioneering step into uncharted territory. The team hopes that the extensive neural data collected will aid future scientific inquiry, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. As Guy Ben-Ary, one of the project’s creators, notes, ‘We’re not giving the answers; we want to invite conversations about creativity and ethics.‘
Creativity and ethics are often seen as mutually exclusive concepts.
However, they can complement each other in various ways.
For instance, creative problem-solving can be used to develop innovative solutions that also adhere to ethical standards.
In business, creativity is essential for developing new products and services, but it must be balanced with ethical considerations such as fair labor practices and environmental sustainability.
Studies have shown that companies that prioritize both creativity and ethics tend to perform better financially and socially.
A Legacy That Lives On
As the Revivification team looks to the future, they hope that Lucier‘s surrogate performer will continue to compose new music, creating an endless loop of sound. The project is a testament to the power of human ingenuity and the boundless potential of art and science combined.
The Future of Creativity: A Conversation Waiting to Happen
Revivification raises essential questions about the nature of creativity and authorship. Can creativity exist outside the human body? Is it ethical to do so? As Nathan Thompson, another member of the team, ponders, ‘Where does creativity lie?‘ The Revivification project invites us to ponder these questions, sparking a conversation that will continue long after the music fades away.
Research suggests that creativity is a complex cognitive process involving multiple brain regions.
Studies have identified key factors contributing to creative thinking, including divergent thinking, mental flexibility, and open-mindedness.
Authorship, on the other hand, involves the ownership and attribution of original ideas or works.
Understanding the intersection of creativity and authorship can provide valuable insights into innovation and intellectual property.
The Project Lives On
Revivification is on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia until August 3rd. As Alvin Lucier‘s daughter Amanda once joked, ‘This is so my dad.‘ Indeed, it seems that Lucier‘s spirit continues to play on, forever bound to the music he created.
