NAM JUNE PAIK / Expose the Music

Nam June Paik
Expose the Music  2023
Hardcover, 250 pages
33 x 23cm
Spector Books, Leipzig

Condition: New

Nam June Paik liked to describe himself as “the world’s most famous bad pianist,” alluding to the musical and performative element in his work. The exhibition Nam June Paik: I Expose the Music by Museum Ostwall at the Dortmunder U presents the work of the video art pioneer by focusing on live moments that run like a thread through his artistic career.

This publication focuses on a feature of media artist Nam June Paik's (1932-2006) oeuvre that has been largely overlooked: the live dimension of his work, a consistent element running through his artistic career. The experience of the audience and their active involvement were crucial components in Paik's work. Starting with his early career as a composer, one focus of the book is on the way Paik approaches music as a score, a concept and an event. His artistic ideas and methods are presented with reference to key series of works--including his performances, his participatory pieces, his interest in live television and his multimedia works. This richly illustrated chronicle of his performances gives a vivid portrait of these live encounters. Specially designed pages created by the artists Annika Kahrs, Autumn Knight, Aki Onda and Samson Young underscore the relevance of Paik's work today.