Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

Get to know the fascinating life of Nam June Paik, arguably the most famous Korean artist in modern history, in this engaging, nostalgic documentary. He was branded as the father of video art, and was revolutionary in his use of technology in the art.

The Korean-American video pioneer, futurist, and art globalist Nam June Paik grew up in Seoul in the 1930s but fled the country with his family to Japan during the Korean War. There, he studied music at the University of Tokyo and delved into the works of the experimental composer Arnold Schønberg. However, his restless spirit led him to Germany, where he encountered the electronic icon Karlheinz Stockhausen and was introduced to conceptual artists like John Cage and Joseph Beuys. In this experimental and subversive art environment, the one who would later be known as the father of video art truly emerged.

«I use technology to hate it properly» is one of his famous quotes when he entered the New York art scene in the early 1960s with grand artistic ambitions. He found a rich art community, including several people from the Fluxus movement, who engaged in outrageous happenings and manifestations. However, Paik charted his own very original paths and turned his attention to the TV box, which he believed could be used for something more useful than merely pacifying people. He shifted the gaze of art towards the box and created one of his most iconic artworks; TV Buddha, where a Buddha figure contemplates a small TV. The work expresses the contrasts and parallels between East and West, technology and spirituality, and sets the tone for many of his later works playing with TV screens, video cameras, and other modern technology.

Director Amanda Kim takes us on an incredible journey into the mind of an extremely talented artist who was far ahead of his time in addressing technology in his visual art. He lived a tough and uncompromising life but always with a steady and overwhelming course in his art.

Lasse Skagen

Director

Amanda Kim is a Korean-American filmmaker. Previously, she held the position of Creative Director at Vice Media and worked as a Creative Producer at Vice's TV channel, Viceland. Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV is her first documentary film. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

This film is part of