Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery
Schine Student Center
303 University Ave., Syracuse
316 Waverly Ave., Syracuse

"Surrender," an exhibition by Bill Viola, is a video installation composed of two flat-screen plasma televisions mounted on the wall one above the other. A man appears in one, and a woman in the other, with the lower image upside down to give the impression of a mirror. Their positions alternate each time the video's cycle begins again. The man and woman perform three physical movements, and the piece illustrates their increasing emotional intensity.

Bill Viola, born in 1951, is an internationally renowned video artist. He has been influential in making sure video is viewed as necessary to contemporary art. By doing this, he has helped video art expand historically, technologically and in terms of content.

Since receiving his BFA in Experimental Studies from Syracuse University (Class of '73), he has gone on to create over 150 videotapes and multimedia installations. He uses video to explore perception and self-knowledge, depicting birth, death and the unfolding of consciousness. His inspiration comes from many areas, including Eastern and Western art, Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism and Islamic Sufism.

Viola's work is exhibited in galleries, art museums and film festivals, and on public television worldwide. In 1997, the Whitney Museum organized "Bill Viola: a 25-Year Survey," which traveled throughout the United States and Europe.

Throughout his career, Viola has received numerous honors and awards, including a 1989 MacArthur Foundation grant. He also holds honorary doctoral degrees from numerous institutions, including Syracuse University (1995).

"Surrender" appears in the Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery located in the Schine Student Center. Hours for this exhibition are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. For information contact Light Work at (315) 443-1300.