five angels for the millennium

in ARoS museum's lowest basement level there is an exhibition space titled 9 spaces, the 9 spaces are rooms that display installation artworks from artists all over the world. i have been to ARoS twice, and when i went back there the 2nd time i hurried into the 9 spaces, i could not wait to get into the room where bill viola's five angels for the millennium was located.

museum should be fun and a mystery, there should be something for visitors to explore and reflect on. (the hongkong museum of art is simply boring. everything is only there to be displayed. interaction is always limited. the entry fee is extraordinarily cheap, but in hongkong time is money, too.) the 9 spaces give me goosebumps because they are mystical, you can easily find yourself overwhelmed by light, darkness, colors or reflections there. it is almost like a maze. i have forgotten the name of one of the artworks, but there is a room of too many mirrors, and everywhere you turn you run into yourself in a never-ending sequence continuing towards all directions. i think the artist is damn smart.

oh but five angels for the millennium by Bill Viola tells a different story. it is an artwork related to the re-occurrence of life and death, i wish i have better words to describe it. i felt like i was in my mother's womb again with all those dawning of sounds and evolving lights and colors breaking away from the darkness. the space was filled and it aroused in me some psychological effects much similar to something between butterflies in my stomach and a workfree sunday afternoon lying on my bed with the sunbeams coming through the lace curtains shining on me while i listen to dying in the sun by the cranberries kind of peace. but here the story goes: it was the coldest winter and i was there for the first time, the room was all dark, he said he couldn't see me, so he held my hand, and when the angel ascended, he asked, "it's death, can you feel it?"

and then he kissed me.

this is when memories hijack an art piece.

p.s. if you are head over heels for someone, there is always at least one reason.
p.p.s. have you noticed how tomb and womb rhyme? it occurred to me just now.