Friday, March 29, 2024

Two London Installations by Video Artist Bill Viola Brought to Life by 7thSense Design Media Servers

ABOVE: BILL VIOLA Angel at the Door 2013 Color High Definition Projection. Blain | Southern Gallery, photo: Kira Perov

Sussex, England — 7thSense Design, a specialist Media Serving technology firm for high performance attractions and entertainment spaces, has supplied Delta Media Servers to two art installations. Designed to showcase the work of internationally acclaimed artist, Bill Viola, the London-based installations use a range of new media to create art that focuses on the concepts behind fundamental human experiences such as birth, death and consciousness.

Contemporary video artist Bill Viola is globally recognized and renowned as a leading artist of the current generation. His exhibition history includes works at the National Gallery, London, Guggenheim Berlin, Whitney Museum of American Art, Getty Los Angeles and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Delta Media Server has been integrated as the media playback engine for two recent exhibits by the acclaimed artist.

BILL VIOLA Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), 2014 Color High-Definition video polyptych on four vertical plasma displays 55 x 133 x 4 in. (140 x 338 x 10 cm) Duration 7:15 minutes Installation view: St. Paul's Cathedral, London, photo: Peter Mallet
BILL VIOLA Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water), 2014 Color High-Definition video polyptych on four vertical plasma displays 55 x 133 x 4 in. (140 x 338 x 10 cm) Duration 7:15 minutes Installation view: St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, photo: Peter Mallet

The most recent is one of two new large-scale permanent installations at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. ‘Martyrs (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water)’ opened in May 2014 and comprises four large-format vertical plasma screens as the first moving-image artwork to be installed in a British cathedral or church on a long-term basis.

The first of the two installations, a temporary eight-week exhibition, was mounted and exhibited earlier in 2014 at London’s Hanover Square entitled ‘Frustrated Actions and Futile Gestures’. This represented nine of Viola’s works in a museum-style exhibition showcasing a mix of electronic, sound and image technology art. Presented in HD projection, the digital experience featured a range of display formats including large scale projections to both single and multi-display environments.

Long-term technology partner of Bill Viola and the company behind the installations, Associated Media Engineering (AME), provided all play-out systems design, sound playback design, control, integration and media finishing for the project. 7thSense was contracted to deliver Delta Media Server as the driving force for the displays by AME.

 www.7thsensedesign.com

Joe Kleiman
Joe Kleimanhttp://wwww.themedreality.com
Raised in San Diego on theme parks, zoos, and IMAX films, InPark's Senior Correspondent Joe Kleiman would expand his childhood loves into two decades as a projectionist and theater director within the giant screen industry. In addition to his work in commercial and museum operations, Joe has volunteered his time to animal husbandry at leading facilities in California and Texas and has played a leading management role for a number of performing arts companies. Joe previously served as News Editor and has remained a contributing author to InPark Magazine since 2011. HIs writing has also appeared in Sound & Communications, LF Examiner, Jim Hill Media, The Planetarian, Behind the Thrills, and MiceChat His blog, ThemedReality.com takes an unconventional look at the attractions industry. Follow on twitter @ThemesRenewed Joe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife, dog, and a ghost.

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