Bill Viola presented his lecture as the 2009-2010 Una's Lecturer at the Townsend Center for the Humanities, UC Berkeley. Over the past 35 years, Bill Viola's pioneering work has been instrumental in the establishment of video as a form of contemporary art. Rooted in modern life yet often evoking age-old religious philosophies and visual iconography, his work addresses universal human experiences such as birth, death, and the unfolding of consciousness. Viola's videos, architectural video installations, sound environments, electronic music performances, and flat panel video pieces are often presented as total environments, enveloping viewers in image and sound.

Established in 1957 with funding from the Ford Foundation and the State of California, the Center's early mission was to coordinate and support the study of contemporary China on the Berkeley campus. Over the last 50 years, the Center has evolved into one of the most active research centers at Berkeley, supporting research and teaching on all aspects of Chinese culture and civilization. In the early 1960's, a contemporary-China reading room was established at the Center, which has since become known as the the Center for Chinese Studies Library, that has grown to become one of the premier research collections on contemporary mainland Chinese affairs in the United States. This roundtable presentation features: Bob Scalapino, Professor Emeritus, Political Science, UCB Lowell Dittmer, Political Science, UCB Joyce Kallgren, Political Science, UC Davis David Keightley, Professor Emeritus, History, UCB Tom Gold, Associate Professor, Sociology, UCB ...