Automaticity and endings: The revivification of Alvin Lucier.

This article analyzes *Revivification* (2025), a practice-based research project by Guy Ben-Ary, Nathan Thompson, Matt Gingold, and Stuart Hodgetts, in which cerebral organoids grown from composer Alvin Lucier's blood activate a set of gong instruments in a gallery installation. Extending Lucier's earlier experiments with neurofeedback and musical indeterminacy into biotechnological realms, the organoids generate continuous, unpredictable musical textures through biological feedback but lack the capacity to end their activity, contrasting with human performers' ability to interrupt patterned behavior. The work raises philosophical questions about human automaticity, agency, and the distinction between living organisms and engineered systems, highlighting that what fundamentally separates humans from such organoids is the capacity to refuse or cease automatic processes. Positioned within broader discussions of bioart, cybernetics, and reproduction, *Revivification* underscores the interplay of biology, technology, and musical indeterminacy while provoking reflection on human finitude and autonomy.