Bill Viola and Sherin Neshat
The International Video Art Festival [PRO] SMOTR

On 18 November, 2003, in the General Staff opened an exhibition, which introduces the Russian public to the best samples of video art and shows how contemporary artists are using new media technologies to create works of art. The exhibition has been organized by The State Hermitage Museum in collaboration with PRO ARTE Institute, in participation with Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, with support from Ford Foundation; Consulate General of the U.S. in St. Petersburg; CEC International Partners, USA.

This is the first time an international exhibition of video art takes place in St. Petersburg. Artists are internationally renowned and have taken part in many exhibitions and festival, including the Venice Bienalle, the oldest and most prestigious world forum of contemporary art.

The exhibition presents two video-installations Greetings (1995) by Bill Viola from collection of Whitney Museum of Contemporary art, New York, and Turbulent (1998) by Sherin Neshat from Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York. The display also includes works of art by famous old masters - engravings by Albrech Durer (1471 - 1528), drawings by Pontormo (Jacopo Carucci) (1494 - 1557) and Persian miniatures of 15th century illustrating poem by Nizami
(1141 - 1203) from collection of The State Hermitage Museum. It makes it show as a unique not only for Russia, but for many museum of the world as well.

At the same time The State Russian Museum shows the following video-installations: Needle Woman (1999-2000) by Kim Sooja (USA- So. Korea); Threshold to the Kingdom (2000) by Mark Wallinger, (UK); Territorium (1999) by Aermout Mik (Netherland); Home (2001) by Uri Katzenstein (Israel).

For the first time, two outstanding Russian museums have combined their efforts to present new art to the Russian viewer. A Festival brochure and exhibition catalogue will be published.

On 18 November, 2003, the Hermitage Theater hosted a symposium, attended by the artists whose works are displayed in Russia’s two major museum venues, leading international art critics, artists and curators of contemporary art from different countries.

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Chrissie Iles, Head of Department of Cinema and Video Art of the Whitney Museum
of American Art

At the ceremony

Mikhail B. Piotrovsky, Director of the State Hermitage Museum, and Chrissie Iles, Head of Department of Cinema and Video Art of the Whitney Museum of American Art, opening the exhibition

Greetings
1995
Bill Viola
Video-installation
Whitney Museum of Contemporary art,
New York

At the exhibition