I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS I AM LIKE, a work Viola made in 1986 during a residency at the San Diego Zoo, is an example of how Viola brackets literal form to create a contemplative space where the literal, conceptual component of an image gives way to an emotional experience of it. In this piece he investigates various animals in their habitats by focusing the camera on their physical forms and often punching in to show close-ups of the creatures’ eyes. In this mode of looking Viola has created a kind of musicality of watching, a dance of seeing and being seen. He creates a meditative space where the act of viewing creates a confrontation with otherness and an awareness of the isolation of the seer and what is seen. (Genevieve Anderson)

Supporting film: LE CINÉMA LENT ET LES MOVEMENTS RAPIDES DES ANIMAUX