On the Passing of Bill Viola
2024.7.26 [Fri]
Bill Viola (1951-2024), a pioneer in video art, passed away on July 12 at his home in Long Beach, CA. We’d like to offer our deepest condolences on his passing.
Bill Viola had been creating video works since the early days of video art in the 1970s, first visiting Japan in 1976. He then stayed in Japan for an extended period of time from 1980 to 1981, where he learned about traditional Japanese culture and the latest technology of the time. A major solo exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in 2006, Bill Viola: Hatsu-Yume (First Dream), showcased the full range of his work, from his early experimental video works to large-scale projections fully utilizing the latest technology and pictorial images on LCD monitors. Bill Viola had a deep knowledge of Japanese culture and thought, including zen, and the respect he had for the universality that governs the cosmos, as well as for human life and fundamental emotions, is what runs through his work.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere respect for Viola’s achievements in expanding the possibilities of visual expression over the years. May he rest in peace.
Kataoka Mami
Director
Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Photo: Kioku Keizo
Tag
