The Vapor

"The Vapor" is an installation in which Bill Viola brigs together video, performance and public participation. Images of the artist during a performance appear on a monitor as he fills a recipient with water, part of the work, with his mouth. The previously recorded sound of the water being poured is played in the surrounding space. The video signal is mixed with images of the spectators filmed live with a video camera, thus fusing the past of Viola’s performative act and the present of the audience. The Vapor tackles questions at the centre of early video art experimentation, in particular the role of the spectator. Through the image, the sound and the smell diffused by the vapour, the spectator is asked to immerse himself in a space of meditation and concentration.