Religious following: Bill Viola's 'Martyrs' bear witness at UK's Auckland Castle

WALLPAPER.COM
By Jessica Klingelfuss

Installation view of Bill Viola's new digital altarpiece at Auckland Castle in County Durham, a bespoke reworking of his 2014 video 'Martyrs (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)'. Courtesy of Auckland Castle Trust. Photography: Mark Pinder

UNITED KINGDOM---Contemporary art and religion almost always intuitively find themselves at odds. Under the mystical guidance of Bill Viola, however, the two worlds seem to collide with impossibly gripping effect. In his latest show, the American video artist returns to the north east of England, where visitors to Auckland Castle in County Durham can find faith (or denounce it) through Viola's haunting digital altarpiece. [link]