Lucy Strauss
Lucy Strauss is a South African musician and researcher who designs novel interactive music systems and artworks with a performer-centric approach. This research spans viola performance, movement computing, machine learning, music technology, and first-person design methodologies. Through creative output, Lucy demonstrates how we can work productively with Artificial Intelligence to extend and deepen existing creative practices. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Arts & Computational Technology at Goldsmiths (University of London), funded through a CHASE fellowship. She is also a VIAD Artist in Residence at the Visual Identities for Art and Design (VIAD), University of Johannesburg.
During her residency at VIAD, Lucy collaborates with researchers at the Creative Microbiology Research Co-Lab: the first bio-art lab on the African continent. Here, she works with 'fungal electronics' to engage with creativity and cognition as networked phenomena across computational, human and mycelial bodies. This project seeks to explore new ways of perceiving music through sensory substitution.
Lucy has performed improvised and experimental music at the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Mixtophonics Festival, 8EAST Cultural Center & NOW Society (Vancouver), De Tanker (Amsterdam) and the Theater Arts Admin Collective (Cape Town). She also enjoys contributing to interdisciplinary collaborations with fellow artists. Most notably, she has coded, composed and played for installations by artist Mia Thom at Everard Read Gallery, Act of Brutal Curation Gallery, and Eclectica Contemporary (Cape Town), as well as the 2022 Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain (Dakar). Lucy has presented workshops on composition and improvisation (University of British Columbia), embodied approaches to improvisation (Canadian Viola Society) and interactive music technology (Bowed Electrons Festival & Symposium).
Her practice has taken shape through through training and supervision at the University of Cape Town (BMus in Composition); University of British Columbia (MMus in Viola Performance, funded through an Oppenheimer Memorial Trust scholarship); and mentorship at the MusicDance021 Performance Residency. The exchange with NOW Society musicians has also been highly impactful for Lucy’s improvisation practice, during her time as a musician partner at 8EAST.
Website: lucystraussmusic.com
Image credit: Mia Thom