Bill Viola’s “Martyrs” Reopen Historic Naples Church

The 17th-century Chiesa del Carminiello a Toledo in Naples reopens to the public after years of closure with a contemporary sacred art exhibition featuring Bill Viola’s video installations. Titled “Ritorno alla Vita” (Return to Life), the show runs from September 2, 2022 to January 8, 2023. Five video works by Viola, known for his meditations on life and death, are installed in the church, which is embedded in a historic palace facade at Via Carlo de Cesare 30 in the Quartieri Spagnoli. The church is notable for its majolica floor by the workshop of Giuseppe and Donato Massa, who also worked on the famous Chiostro di Santa Chiara. The project is curated by VanitasClub (Francesca Orlandini) in collaboration with the Bill Viola Studio and the religious association Asso.Gio.Ca. Orlandini explains that the Greek word “martyr” originally meant “witness,” and Viola’s martyrs urge viewers to witness others’ suffering in a world where media collapses distance. The exhibition marks the church’s rebirth as a place of worship and art.