Mike Lukaszuk was UmArts Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Media Art based at the Department of Creative Studies in Education and Informatics from 2024-2025. His research project on Generativity and Musical Instruments focused on the following research questions: How do algorithmic computer music tools facilitate ensemble work in both digital music and hybrid contexts where computers and concert instruments play together? How do algorithmic computer music tools help artists conceptualize new forms of improvisation beyond concert performance? Beyond its proximity to AI, in what ways does the idea of generativity exist as an aesthetic condition of digital musical practices?
The research project began with the idea of linking generative media (e.g., AI/algorithmically produced sounds) with digital musical instruments as used by laptop and mobile phone performers within the computer music field. And affirmed the importance of links between traditional concert instruments and musical practices that take place in/with software. In other words, the research sought to contribute to the idea of “software-as-instrument.”
The research methods mixed practice-based and theoretical approaches. Some of the work with designing interfaces/computer music artifacts was speculative in nature and could be described as a kind of research-through-design where the goal was to uncover knowledge through the making process – rather than preparing an instrument for performance. The use of music composition as a research methodology in and of itself was also explored and commented on explicitly within certain research outputs.
The research was conducted in partnership with Queen’s University (Canada) – Department of Film & Media on the virtual reality facilitated production of music.
At UmArts, Mike was part of the Art & AI working group where he explored the concept of generativity both in and outside AI, and presented an improvisation at Bildmuseet’s ‘Art & AI’ Art Friday event, and presented multiple informal workshops at the 2024 TAIGA days.
Selected Postdoctoral Research Outputs:
Articles/Paper Presentations:
2025
(forthcoming) Mike Lukaszuk. Strumming Bit Strings: Exploring Digital Instrumentality and Liveness in Electroacoustic Music through the Transformation of Guitar Sounds. Journal For Artistic Research, Issue 36.
Sojung Bahng, Mike Lukaszuk. Imperfection and Digital Simulation in Cinematic VR. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), Seoul, South Korea.
2024:
Sojung Bahng, Mike Lukaszuk, and Ali Na. Digital Flesh – Scar in Data: Remediating and Performing the Korean Female Body. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), Brisbane, Australia, pp. 889–892. ISBN 978-1-925553-55-0.
Mike Lukaszuk. Interactive Drawing as Active Notation for Digital Music Performance. Drawing X Across X Along X Between University Borders Conference. Porto, Portugal.
Artistic Outputs:
2025
• Presentations of sound art project “Away”: August – Vasa Futures Festival “Butterfly” Exhibition (Vasa, Finland), July – Sound and Music Computing Conference (Online Immersive Audio Listening Space). June – International Computer Music Conference (Boston, USA)
• June/July – “Scar in the Data” (co-authored artwork) presented at Surveillant Pleasures (Virtual Exhibition, multiple locations across Canada).
• March – “All the moon long…” played by the University of Louisville Electroacoustic Ensemble concert.
2024
• October – “All the moon long… ” played by the Milano Laptop Orchestra at the 2024 Audio Mostly conference (Milan, Italy)
• October – Electronic Music Improvisation as part of “Art & AI” Art Friday at Bildmuseet (Umeå, Sweden)
• December – “Obsession” played at WOCMAT (Workshop on Computer Music and Audio Technology) (Kainan University, Taiwan)
• October –“Obsession” will be played at The Australasian Computer Music Conference (Sydney and Melbourne concerts).