Bill Viola in Rome

The recently renovated 17th century Palazzo Bonaparte situated in Piazza Venezia is now dedicated to art and sculpture.

The palace was bought by Letizia Bonaparte, Napoleon's mother in 1730.

John and I spent an enchanted morning in the palace in June looking at Icons of Light: a retrospective of works by video artist Bill Viola.

Entering we encountered a copy of a statue of Napoleon Bonaparte as Mars the Peacemaker by Canova.

Mr. Viola has magic in his videos. In Observance, 2022, he presents a line of mourners (?) viewing something disturbing: a victim of violence, a perpetrator?

In The Greeting, 1995, Viola interprets Pontormo's Visitation: a painting of Mary, pregnant with Christ meeting Anne, pregnant with John the Baptist.

In Ascension,  2000,

the artist  films a man plunging into water

and then rising up in a kind of apotheosis -- all in extreme slow-motion.

Water Portraits presents three figures submerged dangerously under water.

John took a seat in a room with four large video screens. Let's look over his shoulder at two of four Maryrs.

Martyr: Fire The martyr sits in a chair 

while he is enveloped in flames.

Martyr: Water

The martyr is pulled up by the feet

through a torrent of water.

The only other light in the rooms is the gentle illumination on the decorative frescoes.

On the opposite wall we see the Martyr: Earth.

The film is shown in reverse so the dirt is seen to fall upwards, freeing the figure.

It was stunning to re-enter the brightness of Piazza Venezia with the Vittoriano framed in the Bonaparte entrance.