A discussion with the French scholar and curator Guy Sorman about his new exhibition The Silent Strength of Liu Xia, which is currently on view at Columbia University's Italian Academy. The show features a collection of 25 black-and-white photographs taken by the Chinese artist Liu Xia while under house arrest in Beijing during the years 1996-9. In the interview, Guy Sorman discusses Liu Xia's work and its ties to the political and cultural landscape in mainland China, including emerging underground artistic movements and the role of cultural production in creating a real impetus for political reform.

Liu Xia is currently still under house arrest in China for the politically subversive activities of her husband, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. Silent Strength is the first and will likely be the only exhibition of her work in the US. Hosted by Xueli Wang.