Bill Viola: The Raft

This October, the NBMAA will present The Raft, a powerful video installation by one of the most highly regarded contemporary artists. Meticulously captured in slow-motion, The Raft addresses human calamity and shared humanity, provoking a consideration of the range of responses to crisis. The work is inspired by art historical sources from ancient Greek and Roman friezes to Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa (1818–19), a monumental Romantic painting of survivors of a shipwreck. Originally created for the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the presentation is part of a new national tour, organized by the American Federation of Arts and Bill Viola Studio.