bill viola

Viola Explores Life, Death in 'Transfigurations'

"Acceptance,'' a black-and-white high-definition video installation by American artist Bill Viola, is part of the "Transfigurations'' exhibit at Kukje Gallery New Space. / Courtesy of Kira PerovBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Transfiguration is a word that has religious connotations. In Christianity, transfiguration is the event when Jesus Christ appeared before three apostles in ``glorified'' form.

Leading American video artist Bill Viola goes beyond the traditional Christian concept with ``Transfigurations,'' a series of exciting new video works currently shown at the Kukje Gallery New Space in Seohyeon-dong, Jongno, Seoul.

``Transfiguration is a word that means transformation, a change in form. In ancient Greek, the word was metamorphosis. The idea of metamorphosis is really an essential part of human beings. Every seven years, all the cells of your body are changed. They're all new. We are literally not the same person from year to year,'' Viola told reporters last week. He and his wife Kira Perov were in Seoul for the opening of his second solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery since 2003.

The new works are an extension of

American artist Bill Viola was recently in Seoul to attend the opening of his solo exhibition “Transfigurations” at Kukje Gallery New Space.

/ Courtesy of Kukje Gallery

``Oceans Without a Shore,'' which was shown at the 52nd Venice Biennale in June 2007.

```Oceans Without a Shore' means a kind of infinite sea that exists both inside and outside human beings. It had to do with the idea of the dead coming back to our world, spending a short time and going back to the land of shadows,'' he said.

It was the death of his father and mother in the 1990s that left a deep impression on Viola. ``I became aware at that time that our time on Earth is very short. We have to use the precious time that we are given very wisely and carefully. Buddha told us it is only our actions, the things we do and the things we make, that will outlive us and become eternal,'' he said.

Using the video materials left over from ``Oceans Without a Shore,'' Viola found a series of interesting clips showing people coming through the water wall. ``This involved multiple people coming through the water wall and having this powerful experience. ... The decision that the people make when they come through the water: should I go in there? Should I pass through or not? It became focused on this moment of individual decision,'' he said.

For Viola, transfiguration is a mind and body experience where the inner self is completely transformed. In the black-and-white videos ``Acceptance'' and ``Transfiguration,'' individuals are slowly drenched in water before disappearing into the darkness.

``Transfiguration represents is the most important capacity of human beings to completely transform their inner selves, not just the outside. All revolutions or ideas start in the human heart inside and then they move out. That's what you see happening in there with the people in these works,'' he said.



Water is a recurring theme in Viola's works, perhaps because he nearly drowned in a lake when he was six years old. ``When I was on the bottom of the lake, I saw the most beautiful world, so peaceful that it was like paradise. I wanted to stay there forever, but then my uncle came in and pulled me out. Since that time, I've been trying to get back and connect to that place again,'' he said.

His attempt to recapture the beauty he saw under water could be seen in ``Five Angels for the Millennium,'' which features five color video walls. Each of the works, Departing Angel, Birth Angel, Fire Angel, Ascending Angel and Creation Angel, shows the dramatic underwater image of a figure ascending to the surface.

Viola is considered one of the pioneers of video art, having created architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances and flat panel video pieces, in the past 35 years.

Viola's video installations are described as ``total environments that envelop the viewer in image and sound and employ state-of-the-art technologies, distinguished by their precision and direct simplicity.'' He is known for tackling universal human experiences like birth and death and spiritual themes rooted in Eastern and Western religions.

``Transfigurations" the exhibit features 13 video installations and runs through July 31. His videos run from anywhere between six minutes to more than 20 minutes. Visit www.kukjegallery.com.

``Oceans Without a Shore'' is on display at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, through Oct. 26. Visit www.moca.go.kr.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr