\Quantum Global Organoid Orchestra (qGoo)
An experimental art–science collaboration that brings together living neural tissue [brain organoids], generative media, and networked human participation to explore new forms of emergent, cross-species creativity.
RESEARCH TEAM:
transLAB: Marcos Novak (director), Nefeli Manoudaki, Iason Paterakis, Mert Toka, Diarmid Flatley [UCSB]
n-D::StudioLab: Mark-David Hosale (director), Ilze (Kavi) Briede [York University]
SBCAST: Alan Macy (director)
Scientific collaborators:
Kosik Neurobiology Lab: Kenneth Kosik (director), Tjitse van der Molen [UCSB]
The Quantum Global Organoid Orchestra (GOO) is an experimental art–science collaboration that brings together living neural tissue, generative media, and networked human participation to explore new forms of emergent, cross-species creativity. The project centres on brain organoids—lab-grown clusters of neural cells cultivated in partnered neurobiology labs—which produce spontaneous electrical activity. This neural activity is captured through microelectrode arrays (MEAs) and translated in real time into sound, visual structures, and computational behaviours. In this sense, the organoids function as active “performers” within a hybrid ensemble composed of biological, human, and machine processes.

The project invites reflection on the aesthetic and ethical dimensions of working with living neural material, asking what it means to situate organoids—entities neither fully biological subjects nor inert tools—as participants within artistic systems. Rather than presenting scientific data directly, GOO foregrounds sensation, emergence, and relationality. It proposes a speculative model of collective intelligence, where biological and computational systems co-produce meaning. Through this, the Global Organoid Orchestra extends contemporary practice in media art, neuroscience, and AI by making perceptible the hidden rhythms of living neural matter and prompting new questions about perception, agency, and the future of embodied computation. 

qGOO evolves from the Protonoesis series by Collaborators at UCSB’s transLAB (directed by Marcos Novak) and the Kosik Neurobiology Lab. These works form closed-loop systems in which organoid signals influence generative algorithms, which in turn shape the audiovisual environment surrounding the installation. Audience members encounter an immersive, multi-modal field where neural activity, machine interpretation, and human agency intermingle, suggesting a form of “distributed cognition” that exceeds any one participant. 
Exhibitions & Upcoming Shows: 
Load Gallery (Barcelona, Spain) — Upcoming April 19, 2026 | Multi-screen LED installation adaptation.
AI Art Biennale (Kraków, Poland) — 2026 | 360° real-time projection at Cogiteon – Małopolskie Centrum Nauki.
Charles Street Video (Toronto, Canada) — December 2025 | Distributed installation.
CNSI (Santa Barbara, CA, USA) — 2025 | Distributed installation.
Press & Publications:
AI Art Magazine (Issue 3, April 2026): Selected as the exclusive "Golden Ticket" winner by juror Grit Wolany out of nearly 400 global submissions. The project is featured across a 4-page spread, including background insights, visual prints, and a dedicated essay.

AI Art Magazine "Golden Ticket" Conversation: Upcoming invited talk discussing the creative process and execution behind the project.
CONTRIBUTION:
Visual Systems Architecture
Generative Visual Design
Distributed Network Synchronization
Systems Design