Video Art by Bill Viola at the Hermitage Theatre

On the 31st of May the Hermitage Museum will host a presentation of two video works by Bill Viola, The First Dream (Hatsu-Yume) and The Passing. This presentation is to be held in connection with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of PRO ARTE Institute.

Bill Viola (born 1951) is rightly considered to be a pioneer of video art and is recognised as one of today's leading artists. Bill Viola has made a major contribution to the establishment of video art as a sustainable form of art. For over 35 years he has created videotapes, architectural video installations, sound environments, music performances as well as works for television broadcast.

Bill Viola: Hatsu-Yume (The First Dream), 1981
For Daien Tanaka
Videotape, colour, stereo sound; 56 minutes

The film Hatsu-Yume belongs to one of the greatest works of Bill Viola. It was made in 1981, when the artist was in Japan on a study trip US/Japan Creative Artist with the assistance of the Sony Corporation. The name of the film is a reminiscence of a Japanese belief that the first dream of the year determines one's luck for the whole year. The work is based upon an allegorical comparison of Light and Darkness with Life and Death. Both the film as a whole and its different parts depict changes from light to darkness, from stillness to movement, from silence to sound, from simplicity to complexity, from nature to civilization.

Bill Viola: The Passing, 1991
In memory of Wynne Lee Viola
Videotape, black-and-white, mono sound; 54 minutes.

The film The Passing belongs to the greatest video works of the end of XX century and was made after the death of the artist's mother. Viola reflects upon the conscious and the unconscious, upon the dreams and the reality, upon the bonds between generations and the eternity of the birth-and-death cycle.

The films have been kindly provided by Bill Viola Studio.

The programme is to be opened at the Hermitage Theatre on the 31st of May 2009 at 3 p.m.

ATTENTION! The number of the invitation cards is limited. We kindly ask you to register by submitting information including your surname, name, patronymic, organisation and contact information. The registration can be done by e-mail edcentre@hermitage.ru or by phone +7 (812) 710-95-30.