Inverted Birth
G6
Bill Viola
2014
8 min 22 s
Performer: Norman Scott
Projected onto a five-metre-high screen anchored to the floor, Inverted Birth depicts five stages of awakening through a series of violent transformations. A man stands in the darkness, drenched in black fluid, the sound of drips punctuating the hollow sound of an empty space. Gradually the fluid begins to rise, and as the movement escalates, the flow upward becomes a roaring deluge. The dark despair of black turns to fear as the liquid changes to red, but the man remains strong. With the flow of white liquid comes relief and nurturing, followed by the purification of cleansing water. Finally, a soft mist brings acceptance, awakening, and birth. The fluids represent the essence of human life: earth, blood, milk, water, and air, and the life cycle from birth to death inverted into a transformation from darkness to light.
The audioguide is not available for this exhibition.
Photo credit: Installation view, Bill Viola: Naissance à rebours, 2017, DHC/ART. Bill Viola, Inverted Birth, 2014. Courtesy of the artist. © DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art, photo: Richard-Max Tremblay.
Inverted Birth
G6
Bill Viola
2014
8 min 22 s
Performer: Norman Scott
Projected onto a five-metre-high screen anchored to the floor, Inverted Birth depicts five stages of awakening through a series of violent transformations. A man stands in the darkness, drenched in black fluid, the sound of drips punctuating the hollow sound of an empty space. Gradually the fluid begins to rise, and as the movement escalates, the flow upward becomes a roaring deluge. The dark despair of black turns to fear as the liquid changes to red, but the man remains strong. With the flow of white liquid comes relief and nurturing, followed by the purification of cleansing water. Finally, a soft mist brings acceptance, awakening, and birth. The fluids represent the essence of human life: earth, blood, milk, water, and air, and the life cycle from birth to death inverted into a transformation from darkness to light.
The audioguide is not available for this exhibition.
Photo credit: Installation view, Bill Viola: Naissance à rebours, 2017, DHC/ART. Bill Viola, Inverted Birth, 2014. Courtesy of the artist. © DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art, photo: Richard-Max Tremblay.