Artist Monograph

Bill Viola, American

American, 1951–2024

Production by Decade

1970s

1980s

1990s

Acquisition Timeline

Year acquired	Works
1979	6
1981	1
1982	7
1983	1
1984	2
1986	1
1992	1
1997	1

American Contemporaries

Catalogued Works

MoMA — 20 shown

Title	Date	Medium	Dimensions	Department	Credit line
Four Songs Video Acc. 1299.1979.1-4	1976	Four videos (color, sound)	33 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
Junkyard Levitation Video Acc. 1299.1979.4	1976	Video (color, sound)	3:11 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
Migration Video Acc. 1298.1979	1976	Video (color, sound)	7 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
Songs of Innocence Video Acc. 1299.1979.3	1976	Video (color, sound)	9:34 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
The Space Between the Teeth Installation Acc. 1299.1979.1	1976	Video (color, sound)	10:13 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
Truth Through Mass Individuation Video Acc. 1299.1979.2	1976	Video (color, sound)	10:13 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Barbara Pine
Memories of Ancestral Power (The Moro Movement in the Solomon Islands) Video Acc. 586.1984	1977	Video (color, sound)	35:19 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Purchase
Moonblood Video Acc. 484.1982.2	1977-1979	Video (color, sound)	12:48 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
The Reflecting Pool Video Acc. 484.1982.1	1977-1979	Video (color, sound)	7 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
The Reflecting Pool – Collected Work 1977-1980 Installation Acc. 484.1982.1-5	1977-1980	Five videos (color, sound)	62 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
Vegetable Memory Video Acc. 484.1982.5	1978-1980	Video (color, sound)	15:13 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
Ancient of Days Video Acc. 484.1982.4	1979-1981	Video (color, sound)	12:21 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat) Video Acc. 723.1981	1979	Video (color, sound)	28 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Catherine V. Meacham
Silent Life Video Acc. 484.1982.3	1979	Video (color, sound)	13:14 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of the friends of Jane Fluegel
Hatsu-Yume (First Dream) Video Acc. 485.1982	1981	Video (color, sound)	56 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Catherine V. Meacham Durgin
Anthem Video Acc. 587.1984	1983	Video (color, sound)	11:30 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Margot and John Ernst
Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House Video Acc. 1134.1983	1983	Video (black and white, sound)	19:11 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Purchase
I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like Video Acc. 543.1986	1986	Video (color, sound)	89 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Acquired through the generosity of Catherine V. Meacham Durgin
The Passing Video Acc. 549.1992	1991	Video (black and white, sound)	54:13 min. ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Purchase
Stations Installation Acc. 649.1997	1994	Five-channel video (color, sound), five granite slabs, five projection screens	Overall, 20' x 50' x 50' (610 x 1525 x 1525 cm) ⌀c 0.00 cm · ⌀ 0.00 cm · L 0.00 cm · 0.00 kg · seat 0.00 cm	Media and Performance	Gift of The Bohen Foundation in honor of Richard E. Oldenburg