Opening on September 20 at EPFL Pavilions, the exhibition Musica ex Machina: Machines Thinking Musically offers an immersive journey through the incredible history of algorithmic thinking and music. From the medieval period to the era of artificial intelligence, it celebrates the achievements of visionary figures who, across centuries, have redefined the way music is conceived, composed, and performed through the technologies of their time.
The exhibition was initiated by two EPFL professors, Sarah Kenderdine (Laboratory for Experimental Museology, eM+) and Martin Rohrmeier (Digital and Cognitive Musicology Laboratory, DCML), with professors Paul Doornbusch and Jonathan Impett, world-renowned for their musical research. Now open to the public, the exhibition uniquely traces the conceptual, creative, and technological advances that have progressively integrated machines and systematic thinking into the world of music.
Through ancient and historical objects, contemporary works of art, and interactive or immersive musical installations, this journey through time and disciplines highlights the legacy of pioneers in algorithmic thinking in music and unveils new perspectives brought by emerging technologies to a broad audience.
Musica ex Machina is more than just an historical exhibition. It is a celebration of musical innovation, paying tribute to those who have pushed the boundaries of their art by incorporating computational thinking and machines, and an invitation to reflect on what the future holds in a world where technology and music are increasingly intertwined.
French-American artist Laetitia Sonami with the Lady's Glove v.4, a gesture-based electronic musical instrument of her invention.
Photo: © F. Hoekzema.
The Guidonian Hand, a tool developed by Guido d'Arezzo in the early 16th century to help singers locate tones and understand musical intervals.
The Musician, an automaton by Swiss clockmaker Henri Jaquet-Droz that plays the piano with mechanical fingers.
Music and algorithms: an ancient history
While algorithms today are inseparable from computing and digital technologies, their history spans several centuries. The exhibition shows that long before the advent of computers, composers and music theorists were inspired by mathematical structures and logical rules to formalise their art.
The exhibition begins in the Middle Ages when the evolution of musical notation and symbolic representation laid the foundations of modern music. These advances paved the way for more complex compositions, notably polyphonic ones, superimposing multiple melodies according to precise algorithmic and harmony rules.
The exhibition also explores non-Western musical traditions that use algorithmic and procedural elements, such as Indonesian gamelan, Central African music, or North Indian rāga. These traditions remind us that algorithmic thinking is universal and intrinsic to many musical cultures worldwide.
The journey continues from early examples of automata in the 18th century to modern computing and AI, passing through atonal music and the avant-garde electronic music of the 20th century. It traces the multiple musical practices that have emerged with technological advancements, integrating increasingly complex algorithmic systems.
Adventurous and visionary figures
Throughout this chronological journey, Musica ex Machina pays tribute to visionary individuals who have marked the history of music. It notably highlights the contributions of Guido d'Arezzo, the musician who laid the bases of modern music notation, Leonhard Euler, a pioneer in applying mathematical concepts to music theory, Arnold Schönberg, a forerunner of atonal music and twelve-tone technique, Karlheinz Stockhausen, a leader in electronic music, or Iannis Xenakis, a central figure in algorithmic composition and non-standard sound synthesis.
Alongside many other outstanding personalities from different eras, the exhibition puts their lasting influence on modern and contemporary music into perspective.
German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1954 in the WDR studio in Cologne, a hub for electronic music experimentation at the time.
The Senior Expert Gramophone, the first of its kind with a horn whose diameter acceleration was mathematically calculated.
The Buchla 200e Skylab synthesizer from 2012, heir to the Buchla Series 100, one of the first modular synthesizers, created in 1963.
The installation Life Codes by composer Alexandra Cárdenas.
The impact of technology on musical creation
The exhibition also explores the links between technological innovations and new forms of musical expression. From early attempts to codify sounds to the invention of the phonograph, each innovation has expanded composers' creative possibilities. For example, the length of popular music pieces was long dictated by the capacity of recording media, such as the three-minute limit imposed by early phonograph records dictating the three-minute length of pop songs.
The role of electronic instruments is also included, from mechanical pianolas and automated instruments to modular synthesizers and computers. Several of these instruments are on display, while a contemporary example of a digital mechanical piano, at the centre of the exhibition, plays complex algorithmic compositions. A symbol of music automation, it has allowed composers to push the boundaries of musical composition beyond human physical limits. The developments that stemmed from the first open-reel tape recorders are addressed with works like Stockhausen’s Studie II and John Cage’s Fontana Mix.
With AI, music enters a new era. Machines' ability to analyse millions of data points and compose autonomously raises questions about the very nature of artistic creation. Musica ex Machina presents works that exploit these technologies to explore the extraordinary possibilities they offer while questioning the role of humans in the creative process.
A sensory experience of algorithmic music
Throughout the exhibition, the public is given the opportunity to listen to a curated selection of works that have marked the long history of algorithmic thinking in music. Played through recordings, digital visualisations, or videos, these pieces allow visitors to fully appreciate their innovative and unique force.
Additionally, a concert room showcases two landmark spatialised algorithmic music works composed by Luigi Nono and Iannis Xenakis. Intimate and immersive, the setting allows these works to be experienced close to how they were originally intended.
Finally, an interactive installation by composer Alexandra Cárdenas invites the public to participate in a real-time algorithmic music performance. Code snippets, manipulated by visitors from their phones, can be moved and assembled to evolve the played composition.
Unique installations from EPFL Laboratories
Two installations presented in the exhibition come directly from EPFL laboratories. The first, developed by the Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab (DCML) led by Prof. Martin Rohrmeier, illustrates the different forms of complexity in Western musical traditions through four digital visualizations.
The second, developed by the Laboratory for Experimental Museology (eM+) led by Prof. Sarah Kenderdine, allows visitors to explore the archives of composer, architect, and mathematician Iannis Xenakis using an interactive linear navigator 12 meters long.
Exhibition views.
Photos: Julien Gremaud.
Exhibition view.
Photo: Julien Gremaud
- Musica ex Machina: Machines Thinking Musically
From 20 September 2024 to 29 June 2025
EFPL Pavilions, Pavilion B
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am-6 pm
Free Entry