MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, NORTH MIAMI WILL BE ONLY U.S. VENUE FOR MAJOR BILL VIOLA EXHIBITION BILL VIOLA: LIBER INSULARUM Knight Exhibition Series December 5, 2012 – March 3, 2013
(North Miami, FL) – The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) North Miami has announced it will present a major exhibition of work by Bill Viola, recognized as one of the pioneers and leading practitioners of video art. Bill Viola: Liber Insularum will begin its sole presentation in the United States at MOCA, North Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach, and will be on view at the museum from December 5, 2012 through March 3, 2013 . The exhibition is presented as part of MOCA’s Knight Exhibition Series. It was first shown last year at Sala de Arte Contemporaneo del Gobierno de Canarias (Spain). The exhibition is organized in collaboration with Bill Viola Studio and is curated by Roc Laseca.
An iconic contemporary artist who draws from Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, Bill Viola is known for creating immersive video installations that explore such universally human subjects as birth, death, and the nature of consciousness. His exhibition at MOCA North Miami is inspired by The Book of the Islands of the Archipelago , authored by the Florentine ecclesiastic Cristoforo Buondelmonti in the 15th century. The works featured in Liber Insularum (The Book of Islands ) use this historic text as a reference point to engage with distinctly modern themes of spiritual isolation in a 21st-century global landscape. Many of the works in the exhibition were produced after Viola’s last retrospective in 1997 at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Works included in the exhibition:
Three Women , 2008 Color High-Definition video on plasma display mounted on wall Three ghostly female figures of various ages approach the camera in slow motion, passing through a wall of water that transforms their appearance from evanescence to corporeality.
Transfiguration , 2007 Black-and-white High-Definition video on plasma display mounted on wall A human body passing through a physical apparatus of water and light evokes transcultural images of spiritual transformation.
The Raft , 2004 Large video projection on wall in 16:29 High-Definition with 5.1 surround sound Extreme slow motion reveals the subtle nuances of light and color in a group of 19 individuals as they are struck by an onslaught of water from a high-pressure hose.
Observance, 2002 Color High-Definition video on plasma display mounted on wall A steady stream of people move through the frame, their faces overcome with emotion as their gaze fixes on an object in the distance.
Catherine’s Room , 2001 Color video polyptych on five LCD flat panels mounted on wall A solitary woman repeats a series of rituals throughout a single day, as depicted across five flat panel screens arranged in a horizontal row.
Four Hands , 2001 Black-and-white video polyptych on four LCD flat panels mounted on shelf Four pairs of hands across four small screens make gestures referencing various spiritual traditions, from Buddhist mudras to 17th century English Chirogrammatical tables.
Surrender, 2001 Color video diptych on two plasma displays mounted vertically on wall Male and female images appear separately on two screen panels, performing synchronized prostrations of increasing emotional intensity and duration.
Unspoken (Silver & Gold) , 2001 Black-and-white video projected diptych on one gold and one silver-leaf panel mounted on wall Two human figures expressing existential anguish are projected onto adjacent panels of silver and gold leaf, respectively.
The Quintet of the Astonished , 2000 Color video rear projection on screen mounted on wall in dark room A group of people undergoes intense waves of emotion, the subtleties of their expressions captured and enhanced by slow-motion photography to create a subjective dreamlike space.
The Reflecting Pool , 1977-79 Color, mono sound Time freezes as a man leaps into a pool of water, with a world of movement and change emerging in the reflections beneath him.
“Bill Viola’s work has long displayed a concern with the artistic possibilities of emotion, connecting viscerally with the viewer,” comments Bonnie Clearwater, MOCA North Miami’s Executive Director and Chief Curator. “Many artists MOCA North Miami has recently worked with -- Ragnar Kjartansson, Rita Ackermann, Mark Handforth and Tracey Emin --- are similarly demonstrating a strong desire for emotionally-driven art that is expressed without irony or cynicism. These connections, along with MOCA North Miami’s commitment to encouraging artistic experimentation and risk-taking, made presenting Bill Viola’s work a natural fit for us.”
Exhibition Funding Bill Viola: Liber Insularum is made possible by MOCA’s Knight Exhibition Endowment. Lead Exhibition Sponsor: Phillips de Pury & Company. Exhibition Supporting Partner: Art Net Worth. Exhibition Sponsor: Stella McCartney.
Bill Viola Bill Viola was born in Queens, New York in 1951. He received a BFA in Experimental Studies from Syracuse University and later worked at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, one of the first American museums to establish a video art department. As the technical director of production at art/tapes/22 , the influential video art studio in Florence, Italy, Viola led an emerging generation of 1970s video artists that includes Nam June Paik, Bruce Nauman, and others. He currently lives and works in Long Beach, California, with his wife and collaborator Kira Perov.
Bill Viola is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1989. His work has been displayed in solo exhibitions at museums around the world including: the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nantes; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, The Art Institute of Chicago; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and many others.
Roc Laseca Roc Laseca holds a PhD in Art Theory and Cultural Perspective and trained as a musicologist and on the semiotics of art at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Helsinki University. In 2002 he became a consultant in artistic and cultural cooperation between Spain and the U.S. Since 2006, Laseca has occupied a research position at the University of La Laguna in the Canary Islands and is the author of curatorial programs for museums and art institutions in Europe, the United States and Latin America.
Exhibition Opening Reception l MOCA & Vanity Fair/ Vanity Fair International Party Tuesday, December 4, 7 – 9 pm Museum of Contemporary Art, 770 NE 125 th Street, North Miami, FL 33161 For information, please visit www.mocanomi.org or call 305 893 6211
About the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami Known as the museum “where new art is discovered,” MOCA North Miami is internationally recognized as a force in defining new trends and directions in contemporary art. Its permanent collection reflects important developments in contemporary art and MOCA presents a continuous calendar of lectures by renowned artists and critics, as well as film screenings, concerts, and cutting edge performances. It is recognized for highly original education and outreach programs that make contemporary art accessible, understandable, and enjoyable to people of all ages. Architectural plans for the expansion and renovation of MOCA's current facility will more than double its overall space to 54,000 square feet and more than triple its current exhibition space to 23,150 square feet. The expansion's concept plan is designed by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman + Associates. The expansion will allow for ongoing access to MOCA's permanent collection, provide an education wing for classes and public programs, expanded space to present concurrent exhibitions, new art storage and enhanced public areas. MOCA’s permanent collection reflects significant artistic developments in contemporary art by emerging and established artists from the U.S. and abroad. John Baldessari, Uta Barth, Jose Bedia, John Bock, Teresita Fernandez, Dan Flavin, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Pierre Huyghe, Alex Katz, Edward Kienholz, Mariko Mori, Dennis Oppenheim, Gabriel Orozco, Nam June Pak, Philippe Parreno, Raymond Pettibon, Matthew Ritchie, and Gary Simmons are among the artists whose works are included in the collection. For more information, please visit www.mocanomi.org
The Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 770 NE 125 th Street, North Miami, FL. For additional information, please call 305.893.6211 or visit www.mocanomi.org.
Museum hours are: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 11 am - 5 pm; Wednesday 1 pm - 9 pm; Sunday noon to 5 pm. Galleries also open 7 – 10 pm on the last Friday of each month with Jazz at MOCA. Admission is Free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, City of North Miami residents and employees, and children under 12; $5 adults, and $3 for students with ID.
Media Contacts: Regional Media National Media Donna Fields / Valerie Ricordi Elizabeth Chapman / Aga Sablinska MOCA North Miami Resnicow Schroeder Associates dfields / [email protected] echapman / [email protected] 305-893-6211 212-671-5150
MOCA's Knight Exhibition Series is made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Exhibitions and programs at MOCA are made possible through grants from the City of North Miami. Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and National Endowment for the Arts. With the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The Museum of Contemporary Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums.