Nam June Paik’s TV Buddhas

TV Buddha (1974) Closed circuit video installation, bronze sculpture.

A pioneer of video installation art, Korean artist Nam June Paik (1932–2006) used video as a platform to observe the evolving relationship between technology with humanity. When I discovered Paik, I was immediately drawn to his TV Buddha series for the sheer juxtaposition of objects. The Buddha, a symbol for contemplation and enlightenment, placed directly opposite a camera and television, icons of technology in the modern age. A lifelong practicing Buddhist, Nam June Paik creates art to question the role of self within an age that intersects spirituality with technology.

TV Buddha (1989) Closed Circuit video installation, bronze sculpture.

Each work in the series is comprised of a Buddha statue sitting opposed a camera and TV. The Buddha gazes at his own image on the TV screen, as the camera gazes back, in an ever lasting staring contest that raises questions of self and humanity. Are we, society, defined by media? Has spirituality been negatively complicated by technology, or has it helped us become globally connected? ▲

Buddha Watching TV, (1974/1997) Stone sculpture, soil, closed circuit video camera, video monitor, tripod, plywood base.

Bibliography

HanHardt, John. “The Worlds of Nam June Paik.” Nam June Paik Studios, 2017. Accessed September, 2017. http://www.paikstudios.com

Ardia, Xuan Mai, C. A. “Nam June Paik | The Father of Contemporary Video Art.” The Culture Trip, 2017. Accessed September, 2017. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/south-korea/articles/nam-june-paik-the-father-of-contemporary-video-art/

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