Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 7: Net Era (1990s)

1996

The Crossing by Bill Viola

Exhibition · Europe

An installation view of Bill Viola's The Crossing, showing the water channel cascading over the figure on one face of the free-standing double-sided screen.
An installation view of Bill Viola's The Crossing, showing the water channel cascading over the figure on one face of the free-standing double-sided screen. Bill Viola, The Crossing, 1996. Two-channel color video installation with four channels of sound; 10 min., 57 sec.; performer: Phil Esposito. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2000.61.

The Crossing by Bill Viola showcases his pioneering use of video technologies since the 1970s. Viola’s early experiments with portable recording devices evolved into immersive installations, featuring multi-channel displays that envelop viewers in meticulously crafted visuals, often set within darkened environments.

Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.

Sources

People

Bill Viola

Movements

Immersive Art, Installation Art, New Media Art, video art

Filed under

Ideas
immersion, Immersive Art, Installation Art, New Media Art, video art
Technologies
video, video installation
People
Bill Viola
Works
The Crossing

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