At the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, visitors are exploring the exhibition titled ‘Great Insights: Nam June Paik and the Artists of His Era.
SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Seoul Auction will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of Nam June Paik, the pioneering “father of video art,” with a special exhibition opening Friday at its Gangnam Center in southern Seoul.
Titled “Great Insight: Nam June Paik and the Artists of His Time,” the show brings together 25 works by Paik and six other artists, including Andy Warhol, Richard Pettibone, Tom Wesselmann, Lee Bul and Olafur Eliasson.
Edison from the Robot Portrait Series.
The centerpiece is Paik’s celebrated robot portrait series, in which he combined light bulbs, speakers and TV monitors to honor figures such as Thomas Edison and the Buddhist monk Hyecho. Rare works such as K-567, a remote-controlled robot critiquing modern civilization, and TV Rodin, which pairs Rodin’s sculpture with a television set, will also be on view.
By juxtaposing Paik’s groundbreaking experiments with technology alongside contemporaries who challenged originality, mass media and power structures, the exhibition situates his legacy within a broader global dialogue on art and innovation.
TV Rodin observing his televised self
The show carries strategic weight for the auction house as well. Despite Paik’s international renown, critics say his market remains undervalued. His domestic auction record — 660 million won ($497,000) for Stag at a Seoul Auction Hong Kong sale in 2017 — lags far behind blue-chip Korean painters. That work later drew attention when revealed to be owned by K-pop star Taeyang of Big Bang.
Against a sluggish art market, Seoul Auction appears to be using the anniversary and Paik’s symbolic stature to rekindle demand. Timed to coincide with Frieze Seoul and Kiaf, the exhibition also aims to project Korean contemporary art’s global relevance to international collectors.
Nam June Paik x Andy Warhol: A Moment of Connection.
“Great Insight: Nam June Paik and the Artists of His Time” runs through Sept. 25 at Seoul Auction Gangnam Center. Admission is free.
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
