Bill Viola: Something Above, Beyond, Below, Beneath

June 4 – September 15, 2002

Questions about the meaning of life have engaged philosophers, theologians, and artists for thousands of years. Bill Viola uses video imagery and sound to explore potential answers to these questions. He believes that answers can be found within the range of our personal experiences. In a 1997 interview he explained: “I guess the connection [between personal experiences and inner feelings] ultimately, if I can say it in one encapsulated way, has to do with an acknowledgement or awareness or recognition that there is something above, beyond, below, beneath what’s in front of our eyes, what our daily life is focused on.”     The exhibition included: The Reflecting Pool, Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat), both made in the late 1970s and Ascension made in 2000.