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Bill Viola (USA) → Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall)

19-24
  • 1 City center
  • Projection

About project

The monumental video installation Tristan’s Ascension, presented in the Church of St. Salvator at the Convent of St. Agnes, is a symbolic vision of the soul in the space beyond death. A man’s body lies on a stone slab in an empty concrete room. Small drops of water rise from the ground and ascend into the universe. What begins as a gentle rain soon transforms into a roaring cascade, and the energy of the water begins to carry the lifeless body upwards. The boundary between life and death is one of Viola’s major themes. His Renaissance-inspired artistic aesthetic and masterful cinematic execution, in combination with the Gothic sacred space, offer a profound and powerful experience and a place for stillness and contemplation.

2005
10:16 minutes
Performer: John Hay
Photo: Kira Perov © Bill Viola Studio

Artist

Bill Viola (1951–2024) was born in New York and graduated from Syracuse University in 1973. A pioneer in the fields of new media, video, and installation art, Viola created visionary installations as immersive spaces of video and sound, focusing on the fundamental human experiences of birth, death, and the evolution of consciousness. A recurring theme across his work was his contemplation of light as the primary element of life.

His professional career, spanning over 50 years, included countless exhibitions and projects in the world’s most prestigious museums, galleries, and art festivals, as well as architectural commissions. Viola received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1989), the Skowhegan Medal (1993), the XXI Catalonia International Prize (2009), the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association (2011), and became an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Arts (2017).

Location

The Convent of St. Agnes is one of Prague’s most significant Gothic buildings and is currently managed by the National Gallery Prague. Founded in the 1230s by the Přemyslid princess St. Agnes of Bohemia together with her brother King Wenceslas I, the convent is uniquely preserved in its original layout. Visitors can access all of its notable spaces, including the Oratory of St. Agnes, the Church of St. Francis — the resting place of King Wenceslas I — and the sacred space of the Church of St. Salvator, which houses Bill Viola’s projection. The sacred and austere environment of the Salvator sanctuary emphasizes the contemplative character of the installation and allows visitors to experience the full emotional power of the projection without distraction.

  • Partner installation

    National Gallery Prague

    • Other installations