The Tumult Foundation and CoCA "Znaki Czasu" in Toruń invite you to the largest retrospective presentation of the work of Bill Viola in Poland, one of the most important artists of the 20th century, a pioneer of video art. This is a unique opportunity for the residents of Toruń, the region and Poland to see 32 works by Bill Viola in one city and immerse themselves in his extraordinary visions, which not only evoke deep emotions, but also force us to reflect deeply on the most important issues of our lives. His exhibitions attract tens of thousands of viewers worldwide- his retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was viewed by nearly 710,000 visitors.
The exhibition was organized in close collaboration with Bill Viola Studio, led by Kira Perov – the artist’s wife, long-time collaborator, and co-curator. The exhibition designer is Bobby Jablonski of Bill Viola Studio, who created an elegant transformation of the galleries that perfectly accommodates a complex visual journey.
The exhibition accompanying this year's edition of the EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival will begin on July 24 and will run until December 31, 2025.
Master of image, sound and spirituality
Bill Viola was one of the first contemporary artists to reach for video techniques and to use them as tools to create art. He developed his own style of creating artistic installations using moving images, based on deep philosophical and psychological studies and analyses of the works of masters of painting (especially from the 13th to the 17th century). The artist followed and researched the developing technologies of electronic image recording - from early analog techniques to the digital breakthrough and HD technologies - which allowed him to discover and show viewers how emotions affect our perception of people and events, and how often our assessments are superficial and erroneous.
.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Bill Viola, Photo: Kira Perov © Bill Viola Studio
While most video artists focused primarily on the conceptual aspects of their visual work, Bill Viola, with extraordinary meticulousness, honed the aesthetic form of his pieces until they became compositions that were not only painterly, but also captivating, simultaneously unsettling and astonishing through their hyper-realistic visual effects and the associations they provoke.
For over 40 years, the artist has been creating video installations, performances and recordings that were not traditional film stories, but rather visual associations, juxtapositions of images that force us to create stories ourselves. Bill Viola avoided narrative, focusing on creating frames that transport the viewer to another reality.
Bill Viola's works often refer to traditional religious iconography - both in form and content, but are universalized by anonymizing the presented figures and events. We find echoes of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary images in them, but we can also see only groups of unknown people who take part in random events. His images, which ideologically stem from what is common to Eastern and Western cultures, sometimes evoke a strange sense of déjà vu - they are impressive records of metamorphoses of human mental and spiritual states.
Viola shows that video technology can be not only a tool for ordinary recording, but also a medium allowing us to cross the boundaries of reality and time. This is why the exhibition in Toruń is not an ordinary artistic event, but an encounter with the art that touches the deepest layers of human consciousness.
A great space for great art
The presentation of Bill Viola's works in Toruń is a huge scale project. In order to provide the right conditions for the reception of his works, specially designed spaces were created in CoCA "Znaki Czasu".
"It’s as if we built four single-family houses inside an exhibition hall of 1000 square meters and 8 meters of heigh", says Marek Żydowicz, curator of the exhibition. Each of them covers approximately 130 square meters, is constructed with thick 6 meter high walls, and 5 meter high ceiling. The entire structure has been insulated with accoustic mineral wool, allowing viewers to fully focus on experiencing the artworks. Achieving this level of construction quality which meets the expectations of Bill Viola Studio, was possible thanks to the support of Saint-Gobain (Isover, Rigips and Ecophon).
Preparations for the Bill Viola exhibition at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń
Agnieszka Bielecka, Dziennik Nowości
Establishing the necessary structures has also started at the Tumult Foundation building, where 9 works will be presented, including the famous Inverted Birth, which metaphorically shows the ambiguity of our path from birth to death.
In these unique spaces, projection devices will be installed, allowing the presentation of Viola's works in a way consistent with the artist's intentions. In both venues the necessary equipment and exceptional installation expertise were provided by the company 235 Media from Cologne.
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue of nearly 200 pages, edited by Marek Żydowicz and Kira Perov, featuring a compelling interview with Bill Viola conducted by John Hanhardt.
"Bill Viola was a pioneer in the use of video techniques in art and one of the greatest contemporary artists. I invite everyone to the largest exhibition of his remarkable works ever held in Poland. In Bilbao, his artworks were viewed by over 700,000 people. I hope that attendance in Toruń will also be high", said Marshal Piotr Całbecki.
Overview of the most important works
The CoCA "Znaki Czasu" and the Tumult Foundation will present, among others, such iconic works as:
· The Reflecting Pool (1977-79/1997) - a work considered one of the breakthroughs in the history of video art,
· The Greeting (1995) - inspired by Renaissance painting, showing a meeting of three women in slow motion,
· The Crossing (1996) - a visual metaphor of spiritual transformation,
· The Messenger (1996)- a metaphorical image of the state of spiritual transformation of man,
· The Quintet of the Astonished (2000) - a masterful analysis of the expression of human emotions,
· Inverted Birth (2014) - a work reversing the order of birth and death,
· the moving cycle Martyrs (2014): Earth, Air, Fire and Water - presenting the spiritual struggle of man in the world of elements.
The exhibition was divided between two locations – CoCA “Znaki Czasu” and Tumult Foundation – each of these places offers unique, aesthetic and emotional experiences.
An exhibition that cannot be missed
The exhibition was financed by the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship with the support of the Tumult Foundation and City of Toruń, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the CoCA "Znaki Czasu". This is an event not only for contemporary art enthusiasts - it is an invitation to anyone who wants to experience moments of reflection on the condition of modern humanity, to look at the meaning of their life and themselves from a slightly different perspective. As Marek Żydowicz, president of the Tumult Foundation and curator of the exhibition, says:
Bill Viola has created works that sink deep into the consciousness and… subconsciousness of viewers. His moving images refer to the fundamental issues of our existence: birth, transformation and death; they transcend the reality we experience every day. His installations are spaces of spiritual experiences and projections of images, the stories of which are created by the viewers. This exhibition is an invitation to enter another dimension – another rhythm of thought, a world of physical and metaphysical experiences. It will make Toruń a unique place in Poland to encounter art that is not merely something to check off a list, but something to be experienced and deeply felt. I cordially invite everyone who is looking for something more than just anecdotes, provocations or aesthetic displays.
In an era of fast stimuli and rushing reality, Bill Viola’s art stops time, encourages reflection and opens up spiritual space. This is an exhibition that does not leave anyone indifferent.
Practical information
The exhibition will open in two locations – CoCA “Znaki Czasu”, ul. Wały gen. Sikorskiego 13 and the Tumult Foundation at Rynek Nowomiejski 28 – and will run from 24 July to 31 December 2025.
We encourage you to follow websites of CoCA “Znaki Czasu” and the EnergaCAMERIMAGE festival, where detailed information on opening hours, tickets and accompanying events will appear.
All video works by Bill Viola presented in the exhibition have been made available courtesy of Bill Viola Studio, with the exception of Room for St. John of the Cross, generously provided by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, with the support of The El Paso Natural Gas Fund for California Art.
Organizers: Tumult Foundation / Festival EnergaCAMERIMAGE
CoCA "Znaki Czasu" in Toruń
Curators: Marek Żydowicz and Kira Perov
Director of the CoCA "Znaki Czasu": Anna Kompanowska
Coordinator: Agnieszka Swoińska
Production: Michał Prewysz-Kwinto
Installation of the exhibition: Ulrich Leistner, Ludger Hennig (235 Media), Radosław Radecki (MaxBud), Wojciech Rumiński (CoCA "Znaki Czasu"), Adam Żuchliński
Marketing: Aleksandra Śmiechowska, Dorota Wąsik, Urszula Gawlak-Kuś, Aleksandra Paprocka
Collaboration: Joanna Górska, Janusz Grocki, Joanna Kalińska, Karolina Kowalska, Anna Kozik, Robert Małkiewicz, Daria Pysiak, Oliwia Tracz
Conservator of the CoCA "Znaki Czasu": Mirosław Wachowiak
The exhibition was organized in cooperation with BILL VIOLA STUDIO
Executive director: Kira Perov
Technical director and the exhibition designer: Bobby Jablonski
Curatorial coordination: Gene Zazzaro
Archives: Astra Price
Exhibition album production:
Typesetting: Dorota Wąsik
Translation: Mateusz Graj
Editing: Marek Żydowicz, Magdalena Sobolewska, Michał Prewysz-Kwinto
Collaboration: Kira Perov/Bill Viola Studio, Monika Jasińska, Marcelina Jarmolińska, Anna Stefańska
Special thanks to Elisabeth Zachella- The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Organizers wish to express their gratitude to Piotr Całbecki – Marshal of the Kujawy- Pomorze Region, Paweł Gulewski – Mayor of City of Toruń, Adam Szponka – Deputy Mayor of City of Toruń, and Edyta Macieja-Morzuch – Director of the Promotion Department at the Marshal's Office of the Kujawy- Pomorze Region. Without their invaluable support, the realization of the exhibition would not have been possible.
The Organizers also extend their thanks to Bill Viola Studio for providing the works presented at the exhibition, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and The El Paso Natural Gas Fund for California Art for kindly lending Room for St. John of the Cross.
We would also like to acknowledge, with deep appreciation, the contributions of Tom Callas, as well as Agnieszka Trybulec and Monika Samocka (Saint-Gobain Construction Products Poland), and Joanna Pepłowska (MPO Ltd., Toruń) for their valued support.
The main partner of the exhibition is the Self-Government of the Kujawy- Pomorze Region.
The exhibition is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland and City of Toruń.