RESEARCH PROFILE
Lona Gaikis (*1982 Toronto, Canada) is a writer, curator, and lecturer based in Vienna (Austria), where she offers lectures on current debates in philosophy, society, and the arts. She regularly contributes as an author to exhibition catalogues, academic journals, and anthologies (ORCID).
She obtained her doctoral degree (Dr. phil.) in Philosophy, Art and Cultural Studies from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2017. Her research focused on the “new key” in the American philosopher Susanne K. Langer and the meaning of music in artistic practice. Lona is editor of the Bloomsbury Handbook of Susanne K. Langer (2024).
Lona’s commitment to research and academia is complemented by a curatorial engagement with media art and music sub-cultures. In 2009, she founded the platform czirp czirp – experimental and sonic arts. Oscillating between sound in experimental, synesthetic formats, and media art, this project has showcased various international artists such as Aïsha Devi (CH), Bergsonist (USA/MAR), Lucy Duncombe (UK) and Feronia Wennborg (NO), Islaja (FIN), Lucas Abela (AU) or Steve Roden (USA) among many others. Further collaborations in the digital involved Jasmine Guffond and Ilan Katin (USA/AUS), Claire Tolan (ASMR audio play) or artificialmuseum.com (AR project).
CURRENT RESEARCH:
BLACKBOX DES FÜHLENS [The black box of feeling: music between intuition and algorithms](German)
THE ‘PRACTICAL UNREASON’ OF A HARD-HEADED LOGICIAN:
ON “FEELING” AS THE LOGIC OF ORGANIC PROCESSES
IVC Fellowship, University of Vienna (May-July 2026). Download report: here.
UPCOMING:
TOPICAL ISSUE “OPEN PHILOSOPHY” | 2027
“SCHEMA AND PROCESS: On Form, Formlessness, and the Geometry of Feeling.” Edited by Lona Gaikis (Vienna), Vera Bühlmann (TU Wien) and Adam Nocek (Arizona State University). Open Philosophy (De Gruyter). Details TBA.
BOOK CHAPTER | 2027
“Living Form: Ernst Cassirer and Susanne K. Langer in Dialogue”. In the volume on Philosophy of Symbolic Forms 2: Mythical Thinking within the series, Works of Philosophy and Their Reception. Eds. Anna Pollok and Luigi Filieri. De Gruyter Brill.
BOOK CHAPTER | 2028
“Susanne K. Langer by Lona Gaikis”. In Philosophers on Philosophy, vol.1: From Mill to Nussbaum. Ed. Johnny Lyons. Cambridge University Press.
RECENT:
PRESENTATION | 26. JUNE 2026
“Von hohlen Globen und gebrochener Luft: Post-digitale Poetik in Claire Tolans Hörspiel ZIKADENSPIELE (2021).” Bachmann Media II: Radio Frequenzen, organized by Thomas Ballhausen and Irene Fußl. KunstQuartier (W&K Studio), Salzburg.
COLLOQUIUM | 18. JUNE 2026
“The ‘Practical Unreason’ of a Hard-Headed Logician.” Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna. Instructor Dr. Christoph Limbeck-Lilienau.
CONFERENCE | 26.-29. MAY 2026
“SUSANNE K. LANGER: Artistic Angles, Philosophical Circles, Poetic Dots, and Technical Lines.” International conference in Vienna. In collaboration with ATTP Research Unit of Architecture Theory and Philosophy of Technics, TU Wien (AT), and IVC Institute Vienna Circle, University of Vienna. Conference Committee: Prof. Vera Bühlmann (AT), Dr. Lona Gaikis (AT), Dr. Matthew Ingram (USA), Prof. Randall E. Auxier (USA), Prof. Christian Grüny (DE), Dr. Tereza Hadravova (CZ). Keynotes: Salomé Voegelin (CH/UK), Sander Verhaegh (NL), and Adam Nocek (USA).
Further information:
ACADEMIC CAREER
FUTURE PROJECTS
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS