Prisoners of War (04:24)

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Nixon demanded all U.S. prisoners be released and a strict accounting of those missing in action before American troops would withdraw; Hanoi insisted the prisoners were war criminals. Sybil Stockdale formed the National League of Families of Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. The Saigon government held approximately 40,000 Viet Cong and NVA prisoners, and 200,000 South Vietnamese civilians.

American Military Commitment (02:23)

James Gilliam cites rules of tunnel warfare and recalls strangling a man. By April 1969, 543,482 American men and women were in Vietnam, thousands were stationed near borders, and nearly 41,000 had died.

Cai Guo-Qiang: Inspiration (04:13)

Guo-Qiang compares his work to Chinese scrolls; the viewer should read, not simply view, the art. Guo-Qiang inspired by his father's match-box paintings, understands art is about what you don't say.

Cai Guo-Qiang: Atheistics of Pain and Destruction (03:58)

Guo-Qiang explores his affinity with the "atheistic of pain." He generates a model plane out of confiscated items from a local airport; items with the potential to cause harm.

Cai Guo-Qiang: Uncertainty in Life and Work (00:53)

"It is difficult to depict things that are not seen, but have a profound effect on us." - Guo-Qiang's work examines the existence of uncertainty in our world.

Laylah Ali: 2D Art (02:35)

Ali preserves 2-Dimensional technology in her contemporary work. Art is not Ali's escape, it connects too closely to her personal life. Ali categorizes images cut-out of materials found in daily life to inspire her work.

Laylah Ali: Staying Organized (03:02)

To stay organized, Ali keeps detailed notes on next steps. Her work is plotted months beforehand because the tension of "screwing up" is high.

Laylah Ali: Intimate Connection (03:42)

Ali connects the love of reading and writing to her craft; an intimate connection can occur between the work and the viewer. Ali is fascinated at how color significantly alters the visual experience.

Laylah Ali: Collaboration (03:24)

Ali collaborates with Dean Moss to create live-action art inspired by her work. Ali recounts childhood memories and how they surface in her craft, specifically noting when she was the only black child in school.

Krzysztof Wodiczko: Breaking the Silence (02:41)

Wodiczko's work attempts to create a capacity for people to speak publicly about issues regulated in the private space. Prisoners speak anonymously about their experience to the public.

Krzysztof Wodiczko: Building Trust (03:38)

Wodiczko delivers messages from the silenced by building trust, allowing them to open-up and speak about the "unspeakable." Making sketches of these experience keeps Wodiczko's sanity intact.

Krzysztof Wodiczko: Hiroshima Project (03:12)

Wodiczko's Hiroshima project allowed survivors of the Hiroshima bombing to speak about their experience and heal from the pain. He conveys that a memorial should connect the past and the future to bring people together through stories.

Krzysztof Wodiczko: Tijuana's Landmark (04:00)

Wodiczko blurs the line between architecture and the projected body in his work with the Tijuana landmark. Young women express taboo stories, while viewers support the sometimes unbearable experience.

Ida Applebroog: Power in Society (02:21)

Applebroog's art is about how power works. In 1974, she re-entered the art scene in New York by creating visual books and mailing them to strangers.

Ida Applebroog: Repetition and Fragmentation (03:06)

Applebroog uses repetition in her work, it becomes a "filimic" way of expression. She fragments her pieces to draw the viewer in and explore the work closely.

Ida Applebroog: Transformation and Reawakening (04:36)

"With art it has to be either too much or not enough." - Applebroog does not consider herself a type of artist, she just makes art. She makes the work not for beauty, but for herself. In her later years, Applebroog has experienced a reawakening in spite of physical limitations.

War and Opposition (04:38)

President Nixon, who promised to end the war with honor, knew military victory was impossible, but believed Hanoi leadership would agree to talk peace in Paris. He widened the war and reignited opposition on college campuses. Rock music provided anthems for the American counter culture.