ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Bill Viola's Video Installation in Milan's San Marco Church

exhibition · 2026-04-26

Since 2008, Milan's San Marco church has been the site for Bill Viola's video installation, Study for The Path, marking it as the sole video art exhibit within a Milanese religious venue. Born in New York in 1951, Viola has been delving into digital imagery since the 1970s. This installation serves as a preparatory study for The Path, part of the Guggenheim's 2002 series Going Forth by Day, and interacts with the southern transept's sarcophagi, merging modern electronic visuals with historical significance. A special event will take place on April 18, 2024, at 7 PM during Fuorisalone, featuring a publication titled Study for The Path, which explores Viola's work in relation to worship, hosted by Don Luigi Garbini.

Key facts

  • Bill Viola's Study for The Path is a permanent video installation in San Marco church, Milan since 2008.
  • It is the only video art piece in a place of worship in Milan.
  • The work is a preparatory study for The Path, part of the cycle Going Forth by Day commissioned by the Guggenheim in 2002.
  • The installation was donated by a private collector and placed via the artache circuit.
  • A special evening during Fuorisalone on April 18, 2024, will present a publication titled Study for The Path.
  • The book compares Viola's work with The Baptism of Saint Augustine by Cerano.
  • Two other publications will be presented: one on San Marco church and one on tradition vs. new technologies.
  • The parish priest Don Luigi Garbini will host the event.

Entities

Artists

  • Bill Viola
  • Cerano (Giovan Battista Crespi)

Institutions

  • Pinacoteca di Brera
  • Guggenheim
  • Artribune
  • Fuorisalone

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • New York
  • San Marco church
  • Guggenheim Museum

Sources