Communicating research through art and creativity

As the timer counted down 4 minutes and 33 seconds, presenters took the stage to share their integrative arts investigations. The presentations that unfolded went beyond standard explanations of an abstract and utilized creativity to captivate the audience. 

The 2025 4’33” Competition featured a variety of presentations from poetry readings to immersive visuals. First place winner Younghyun Kim, Ph.D. student in Learning, Leadership, and Organizational Development in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, presented on her research “Rice cook/er as an Intra-Relational Material Inquiry”, exploring how material objects like food can be a part of culture that goes beyond its role as sustenance. She chose to represent her work through a poem, with accompanying audio and video to add more depth to her presentation and poem.

The four runners up also received awards for their work. Asia Meana, Ph.D. student in Theatre and Performance Studies, presented on her research “Samuel Beckett’s ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ in a Post-technological Future”, a staging of Samuel Beckett’s play Krapp’s Last Tape. Her upcoming staging sets the play in the future and utilizes modern technology instead of tapes to convey the story. 

Rosangela Araujo Silva, Ph. D. student in Education and Theory and Practice, researches the roles that Latina mothers’ play in children’s education and the burden that they must take. She chose to do a poetry reading based on her own experiences titled “Poem: To Hell with Anyone Who Says Mothers’ Resistance is Something Beautiful”. Her powerful voice filled the room and brought the poem alive, drawing the audience into the pain and hardships that Latina mothers face. 

The last runner up, Erny ros (Amos) V. Manlangit, Ph.D. student in Learning, Leadership, and Organizational Development, research “Braiding Stories in the Fold: Rethinking Disability Aesthetics in a Philosophy of Immanence”, looks at the ways that disabilities are represented in art, literature and beyond. His presentation pulled that audience into the speculative and philosophical mindset through a well-edited video that synced with his presentation. The visuals of the video and his energetic reading exemplified his research on disability aesthetics and immanence.     

The annual 4’33” Contest is a competition where both graduate and undergraduate student presenters have only 4 minutes and 33 seconds to present their research in the arts. It allows students to discuss the ways in which they are implementing creativity and artistry in their research. The top ten submissions are chosen to compete for five monetary awards and acknowledgement of their hard work. 

The contest is inspired by composer John Cage’s 4’33” composition comprised of three movements where no music is played. His composition encouraged audiences to find music in the mundane sounds of a silent audience. In a similar vein, these students found ways to innovate their presentations and push the audience to engage with their research in unexpected and artistic ways.