Narrare, cancellare, mostrare: il corpo del martire secondo Bill Viola [Narrating, erasing, showing: the martyr's body according to Bill Viola]

Abstract

The history of Christianity is full of stories of martyrs who witnessed the truth of faith in Christ and became the object of brutal abuse and violence. Although not in this sense, the word martyr is today widely used to indicate the voluntary act of sacrifice inspired by extremist ideas. The evolution of the concept of martyr exhibits its complexity that can be investigated considering the construction through the narrative, in the form of reports and testimonies, keeping in the background the distinction between the narration of the martyr and the narration on the martyr. In this article we will show the attempt to remain within the perimeter of the storytelling on martyr and martyrdom, considering two examples and their respective semiotic reading with the intention of highlighting the role of corporeity in the story of a martyrdom. In fact, the body of the martyr makes the testimony possible, so much so that the body must be alienated. We consider interesting to note that martyrdom is narrated also in some places of contemporary art as in the works of Bill Viola, who through Martyrs shows his idea of sacrifice but also of rebirth and cyclicity of the body.

Keywords

• martyrs
• narrative
• discourse
• body
• bill viola
• ipazia
• sociology
• philosophy
• linguistics