By Lee Hyo-won, Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporters
It has been two years since the world bid farewell to the celebrated video artist Paik Nam-june (1932-2006), and a ceremony marking the anniversary of his death will be held Jan. 29 at Bongeunsa Temple, southern Seoul.
Some of Paik's ashes were placed in the Buddhist shrine after he passed away in Miami, Florida in 2006. Paik's widow, Shigeko Kubota, 71, will attend the event. A bronze ``Death Mask'' of the late artist, sculpted and cast in New York in 1994 by his close friend Han Yong-jin, will also be on display.
Hankuk Art Museum will hold a memorial ceremony for Paik on Jan. 29, before opening an exhibition about him. It will be a homage from 13 artists, including Kubota's video art. The exhibition runs from Jan. 30 to April 30. Call (031) 283-6418.
Some of Paik's works are currently on permanent display at both the National Museum of Contemporary Art and Leeum. Another exhibition on Paik is in the Millennium Hall, Incheon International Airport, until April 10.
An avante-garde artist, Paik was the first to integrate media and art, and used TV sets, cabinets and signals to express himself. He was also a composer and performance artist.
Born in Seoul in 1932, Paik studied at the University of Tokyo and Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. He led an active and often controversial career in New York and parts of Asia and Europe. Close comrades include artist Joseph Beuys, composer John Cage and cellist Charlotte Moorman.
Last year, various ceremonies and retrospective exhibitions were held all over the world including Seoul, New York and Beijing to commemorate the first anniversary of his death.