Bill Viola was commissioned by St. Paul’s Cathedral in 2002 to create two artworks for the cathedral’s north and south aisles. Lord Foster offered to help with the design of the plinth and the project started with a meeting with the architect of the cathedrals’ fabric and a brief. “Mary” in the north aisle had to have a solid feel (Birth), while the “Martyrs” in the south aisle had to give the feeling of rising towards the sky (Death). After a few years of fundraising and several meetings with the artist, art institutions, clerks and contractors, Martyrs was installed in May 2014, followed by Mary in September 2016.
Some photos by Peter Mallet