Bill Viola
Water
27 May–9 September 2012
The Nordic Watercolour Museum
Södra Hamnen 6
SE-471 32 Skärhamn
Sweden
T 0046 (0)304 60 00 80
info [at] akvarellmuseet.org
Life’s innermost mysteries are at the core of Bill Viola’s art. He was born in New York in 1951 and has for over forty years been at the centre of developing video as an art form. He has created a large number of unforgettable works in which moving images and sound merge and collaborate with their surroundings. Always true to his innermost concepts, Viola nevertheless exploits the very latest techniques while deriving his inspiration from such varying sources as classical art and Zen Buddhist philosophy. With the help of moving images the exhibition invites the viewer to a fantastic experience where water and the transformation between birth, life, and death are the central themes.
The Nordic Watercolour Museum is a unique oasis by the sea where international art meets incredible natural scenery. The museum specializes in the medium of watercolour. Watercolour art is usually associated with works on paper but the museum’s ambition is to expand those limits and also look at watercolour in terms of its composite parts—water, pigment, and paper. The museum opened in 2000 and after twelve years of success the museum has finally expanded with a new gallery. The gallery makes it possible for the museum to show parts of its collection permanently. The collection consists of the work of more than a hundred artists, and the aim is gradually to build up a unique treasure of Nordic art.
Exhibitions at The Nordic Watercolour Museum
Bill Viola: 27 May–9 September 2012
Light & Space: 27 May–9 September 2012
Peter Land: 23 September–2 December 2012
*Image above:
Bill Viola, The Messenger, 1996. Video and sound installation. Colour video on vertical wall screen in darkened room. Amplified stereo sound. Photo: Kira Perov. © Bill Viola.
