If you are even mildly curious about what a 4 minutes and 33 seconds of a so-called “silent” performance entail and the following breakdown, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Exploring Art Podcast, we look into the case of American percussion composer and visual artist John Cage, particularly interested in his highly controversial composition titled 4’33”. We look at who he was and why he was so crucial in the art world.

With an in-depth look into the question “what is art?”, we try to apply the concepts discussed to give an opinion on whether or not Cage’s 4’33” is, in fact, a work of art, as well as whether or not it can be considered a piece of music.

This “silent” performance of 4’33” has encountered great controversy over time since its first performance in 1952, so follow along and answer the questions for yourself as we look into this case.