Bill Viola’s ‘Martyrs’ & ‘Mary’

Caroe Architecture with Foster & Partners

The objective of the project was to create the support ‘shelf’ for the four large video screens , which display Bill Viola’s artwork. The two transoms of the cathedral were always designed to have alters, but they were never built. The then Dean wanted to reintroduce the tradition of the church as commissioners of art by introducing contemporary art to a three hundred-year-old religious space. However, what is contemporary art? – Video, and Bill Viola is the foremost protagonist in this medium and his imagery is both spiritual and non-denominational.

 Bill was commissioned, to film two works to finish the two end spaces as interpretations of alter pieces. One ‘Martyrs’ is a polytych and the second ‘Mary’ a triptych, a work that took years as Bill Viola does not do narrative works. Foster & Partners were the project architects to realise the project. John was introduced by F&P to the team and as Bill Viola was a favourite artist, the privilege to work on the project was never in doubt. In the end It took 12 years to realise (as documented in the film ‘Bill Viola – The Road to St Paul’s’). Martyrs is a permanent artwork at St Paul’s Cathedral.