Art in the Twenty-First Century

Power and its victims is the theme of this episode, which profiles artists Cai Guo-Qiang, Laylah Ali, Krzysztof Wodiczko and Ida Applebroog. Guo-Qiang, whose materials include gunpowder, talks of “the aesthetic of pain”; Ali, whose round-headed figures appear cartoonish (but are quite serious) is seen working with choreographer Dean Moss; Wodiczko's video projections honor victims of violence; and Applebroog explores “how power works” in paintings, drawings and sculptures.