Bill Viola documentary premieres at Biografilm Festival in Bologna

Gerald Fox's documentary 'Bill Viola: The Road to St. Paul's' was presented at the 13th Biografilm Festival in Bologna, focusing on the creation of Viola's installations at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The film explores the decade-long process behind two major video altarpieces installed in 2014: 'Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)' and 'Mary, the Pietà'. Fox highlights the contrast between Viola's contemporary video works and the ancient sacred space. Viola, who nearly drowned at age six, has built his career exploring the boundary between life and death. The installations feature universal imagery addressing birth, death, love, and sacrifice. Fox previously made a documentary on Cildo Meireles for his Tate Modern exhibition in 2008. Viola's works at St. Paul's were also celebrated in Italy with a 2017 exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence.