South Korean born artist Nam June Paik brought together his works from his 5-decade career in his Tate Exhibition embracing and exploring mass media and technology.
The first room of the exhibition successfully sets up and introduces the motif of the exhibition, television and technology. This room features ‘TV Garden', where Paik explores a future landscape where technology and nature become a part of each other and he also shows the overwhelming content of mass media through the display of ‘Global Groove’ on the screens, and ‘TV Buddha’ and ‘One Candle’ which he uses to convey the meaning of meditation, both also featuring a television set.
There were lots of opportunities for cute Instagram posts and poses which really highlighted the idea of a digital society, and whether intentional or not helps convey Paik’s ideas present throughout the exhibition. The Blank Film, a projection of white onto a wall, and Participation Camera, three cameras resulting in multiple colours of images in a tv screen, where particularly a hit for photos, I myself being guilty for excessive photos of hearts and peace signs made with friends.
The best way to describe the final room of the exhibition would be the grand finale. The room consisted of projections and audios titles and was titled ‘Sistine Chapel’. The instillation filled the walls and ceiling using 42 projections of 4 videos which switched at random. The overwhelming and somewhat headache inducing experience was added to by a mix of singing and borderline shouting playing alongside the videos. After the whole experience the best way to describe it would be that it is like watching someone slowly go mad.
Jessica Grant
