24 March 2019
Michelangelo is best known for the Sistine Chapel and for his large sculptures. Yet his smaller, more intimate drawings take the viewer closer to the spiritual and emotional power of his work. They were created for his private use, or as gifts of love, and would soon become known as “drawings the likes of which was never seen”.
In 2006, the pioneering video artist Bill Viola saw a collection of these works at Windsor Castle. He was moved by their ability to convey fundamental human experiences and emotions, and by Michelangelo’s use of the body to give shape to spirituality. Viola’s large-scale video installations are likewise works of profound emotional impact. They combine sound and moving image to create absorbing works which slow us down and invite us to experience and reflect. These works are shown alongside Michelangelo drawings, which are on display in the UK for the first time in almost a decade. This exhibition – created in close collaboration with Bill Viola Studio – was a unique opportunity to experience two artists, born centuries apart, in a new light.
Highly charged and hard hitting... this show was always going to ruffle feathers. It had critics up in arms... 'How can you hang Video works in the same gallery as a Michelangelo sketch?'... Well, very easily - and the result was breathtakingly beautiful and profoundly moving. Gold star to the RA!
Michelangelo to the left - Viola to the right
Phyllida Barlow - Cul-de-sac 2019
10 out of 10
