Nam June Paik exhibition now showing at National Gallery

The international exhibition Nam June Paik: The Future Is Now has arrived in Singapore and is now showing at the National Gallery from now till Mar 27.

A treat for the senses, this thought provoking exhibition surveys over five decades of Paik’s pioneering work in the use of television and video in art.

Internationally recognised as the “father of video art”, Paik was an artist and visionary who always experimented with various kinds of media. He played a leading role in bridging the gap between art and technology by transforming video into an artist’s medium.

Learn more about Paik’s expansive range through the 180 installations, projections, modified televisions, video sculptures, robots and other inventive contraptions.

Here are some installations to look out for:

The projection consists of fast-paced, overlapping images that are screened over the gallery’s walls and ceilings.

This “robot” adorned with piano keys and hammers is meant to represent a musician seated away from his instrument.

Paik was inspired by John Cage’s 4’33”, a composition which comprises three movements of silence. He wanted to reflect Cage’s belief that silence has the same potential as the melody in a piece of music.

This interactive exhibition allows you to “play” the work by running the player head over the magnetic tape on the wall. The sounds picked up by the head may be distorted or difficult to hear.

What makes Random Access intriguing is that every play produces a new and unique composition.

As Nam June Paik: The Future Is Now is a special exhibition, access is only free for Gallery Insiders, local students, children aged six and below and persons with disabilities and their caregiver.

Tickets are $15 for Singapore citizens and $25 for non-Singaporeans. Concession rates are available for locals and you can make use of your Singapore Rediscover Vouchers to redeem the tickets.

For more information, click here.