The Barnes Foundation is currently hosting a special exhibition highlighted by the visuals of Bill Viola, curated by John G. Hanhard.
The internationally acclaimed Barnes Foundation is currently hosting a special exhibition, “I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like: The Art of Bill Viola.” Upon entry into the installation, viewers are advised to “please put aside your mobile device” for the best #BillViola experience. Guests then plunge into an immersive, multi-sensory experience inspired by Viola’s exploration of spirituality, mysticism, art, and the passage of time.
(Color video polyptych on five LCD flat panel displays mounted on wall, photo: Kira Perov)
Curated by John G. Hanhard, the provocative body of work represents a selection of the artist’s major pieces from 1976 – 2009, including smaller screen-based works and the rarely seen large-scale installations ‘He Weeps for You,’ ‘Pneuma,’ and ‘Ascension.’
According to the didactic notes posted: “The show’s evocative title comes from Viola’s 1986 feature-length videotape ‘I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like’ (screening in the Comcast NBCUniversal Auditorium on Wednesdays at 1 pm), a work the artist has described as ‘a personal investigation of the inner states and the connections to the animal consciousness we all carry within.'”
(video/sound installation, photo: Kira Perov)
In addition to experiencing Viola’s visionary video work, guests can also view an installation of new paintings by artist Pat Steir, entitled “Silent Secret Waterfalls: The Barnes Series.” Steir has created a series of 11 seven-foot-tall oil-on-canvas paintings that seamless blend with the cavernous lobby that connects Barnes exhibition entry points. Steir’s celebrated Waterfall series will be on view at the Barnes Foundation through November 17, 2019.
(Oil on canvas 92 x 132-1/2″)
“I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like: The Art of Bill Viola” is on view at the Barnes Foundation through September 15, 2019. Related programs include film screenings of “I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like” (1986; 89-minutes) at 1 pm every Wednesday through September 11; Sundays: August 4, September 1, noon (Free); Fridays, August 2, September 6, 6pm (Free with admission to First Friday! Programs). For more information, visit barnesfoundation.org.
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