Special Exhibition Honoring Nam June Paik, Founder of Video Art
Spotlighting Andy Warhol, Lee Bul, and Olafur Eliasson
Collector's Collection Exhibition Held During KIAF and Frieze Seoul
On August 25, Seoul Auction announced that it will host a special exhibition titled "Great Insight: Nam June Paik and Artists of the Era" at the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center in Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, through September 25, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the passing of Nam June Paik, the founder of video art and a pioneer of avant-garde art. The exhibition will feature 25 works by six artists, including Nam June Paik, who have demonstrated profound insight into their times.
This special exhibition is based on the core philosophy that "art is about contemplating the future" and highlights Nam June Paik's work, which explores the relationship between art, technology, and humanity. Paik's use of technology as a tool for creation and contemplation is especially meaningful today, as cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) have become central topics, offering new possibilities for thought.
The exhibition will showcase Paik's Robot Portrait Series, dedicated to great figures from both East and West. By depicting pioneering inventors and innovators as modern robots, the works reveal the philosophical depth of the artist.
The kinetic art piece "K-567" will also be on display. This robot, which was operated by remote control, performed in 1995 by walking on a road in Gangnam, Seoul, and colliding with a car, warning of the dark shadows cast by the progress of civilization. "TV Rodin," in which the robot gazes at its own image on a TV screen, demonstrates the essence of Paik's artistic philosophy, where Eastern thought and Western technology are intertwined in a cyclical structure.
Works by other artists who, like Paik, expanded the horizons of art by experimenting with the visual environment shaped by technology and media will also be featured. These include Andy Warhol, who transformed images born of mass production technology into a new artistic language; Richard Pettibon, who questioned originality through appropriation and replication; and Tom Wesselmann, who elevated everyday objects to the realm of art. The exhibition will also present works by Lee Bul, who explores the relationship between technology and social power, and Olafur Eliasson, who investigates the connection between nature and humanity through technology.
Coinciding with the periods of KIAF and Frieze Seoul, Seoul Auction has prepared a variety of additional content beyond this exhibition. There will be a preview exhibition of works for the "186th Art Auction," to be held at the Gangnam Center on September 23, as well as a collector's collection exhibition running simultaneously.
"Great Insight: Nam June Paik and Artists of the Era" will be held at the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center from August 29 to September 25. The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and admission is free for all visitors.
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