Every year, creative grad students from across the disciplines submit compelling images of their research and scholarship to the Image of Research competition. To accompany each image submission, the creator writes a short paragraph explaining how the image relates to their wider academic work, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes.
We caught up with some of the award winners from the 2025 Image of Research competition to ask them more about their process. Enjoy this interview with Lili Federico, a graduate student in Theatre and Honorable Mention winner in this year’s contest, and then view the video to hear Federico read her award-winning submission, "Dynamic Lightscapes: Generative Art in Motion."
Why did you enter Image of Research this year?
I heard about the Image of Research from my mentor, John Boesche. I was researching immersive and generative media for Oklahoma!, and he encouraged me to apply and share my work. I was intrigued by the idea that one image could capture the essence of research. After carefully choosing the right photo and crafting the description, I submitted my entry.
What was the process of coming up with your image?
The image came out of months of creative and technical development. I learned to program and work in TouchDesigner, adapting the software to match the visual language I was building. A big challenge was figuring out how to capture the performers in real time and adjust for constant lighting changes. It took a lot of trial and error. The process was also highly collaborative—over nine months, our team refined the overall aesthetic as it was not just that one look but a full story.
What did you learn or take away from this experience?
Throughout this experience, what has stuck with me the most was seeing how excited and proud my community was to have this kind of work celebrated. The arts often involve a deeply rigorous, exploratory process, but that effort isn’t always seen through the lens of research. Being part of this reminded me that creative work is research—and that it deserves to be visible in larger academic conversations.
Read Lili's Entry
Often, an artist is limited by the tools they have at their disposal. When the artist’s vision becomes greater than the tools at hand, then it is time for discovery. In Lyric Theatre @ Illinois’ production of Oklahoma!, the dream ballet sequence became a canvas for exploring the relationship between technology and live performance. Using TouchDesigner, I developed a system of generative visuals that dynamically adapted to the environment in real time. The software responded to two key inputs: the intensity of the stage lighting and the movements of the performers. These factors influenced the evolving patterns, colors, and textures projected on stage, ensuring that each performance was unique. By relinquishing direct control to the software, I shifted from the role of an artist to that of an architect, designing a framework for the media to interact organically with its surroundings. The result was a vivid, immersive experience, where the media became an active participant in the storytelling. The project not only enhanced the aesthetic of the production but became a base in which to explore, and research, generative art in live theater.
Visit the Image of Research website for more information about this celebration of graduate student research.
This interview was conducted by Brandon Stauffer, Videographer here at the Graduate College. Brandon came to the Graduate College with a background in journalism and is now working to showcase the impact of Higher Education at Illinois.
