Riveting Bill Viola Video Opens at Nelson-Atkins Museum

Kansas City, MO. Jan 18, 2012

First Time Artist’s Work Has Appeared as an Installation in Kansas City 

A psychologically powerful video depicting strangers facing an unexpected disaster opens at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on Jan. 21. Bill Viola’s The Raft (2004) is approximately 10 minutes long and explores themes of tragedy, survival and transformation.

In the video, a group of men and women from various ethnic and economic backgrounds gather as if waiting for a train or bus to arrive. As is characteristic of urban settings, each individual maintains a psychological distance. Suddenly the group is struck by a massive onslaught of water. People huddle and struggle and succumb to the explosive force of the water. Will they survive? Will they be transformed?

Then, as suddenly as it arrived, the deluge subsides and people begin to regain their composure. As they do, they reach out to others, comforting them. Seen in extreme slow motion, movements and facial expressions are intensified.

“Like all of Viola’s internationally renowned work, The Raft resonates with universal ideas about the human spirit, life and death,” said Leesa Fanning, associate curator, Modern & Contemporary Art. “Viola would like his art to be transformative. His use of slow motion allows viewers to focus on the emotions and expressions of each individual. The Raft captures the complexity of human feeling.”

Emotions expressed range from boredom, disinterest, curiosity to disapproval and then surprise, fear, recovery, compassion and even love. The Raft serves as a metaphor for our times. Viola said that his work is “for cultivating knowledge of how to be in the world…for developing a deeper understanding.”

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 

The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access and insight into its renowned collection of more than 33,500 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. The institution-wide transformation of the Nelson-Atkins has included the 165,000-square-foot Bloch Building expansion and renovation of the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.

The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, Noon–5 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free to everyone. For Museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org/.