Bodyfriend Highlights Nam June Paik in 'Great KOREA: Part 1 Pioneer Exhibition'

Unreleased Works Including 'Video World 21 (2000)' Revealed

Bodyfriend announced on the 31st that, as part of the project to extend healthy life expectancy by 10 years, it will focus on artist Nam June Paik through the exhibition "Great KOREA: Part 1 Pioneer Exhibition." Photo by Bodyfriend

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Bodyfriend announced on the 31st that it will hold the ‘Great KOREA: Part 1 Pioneer Exhibition’ as part of its project to extend healthy life expectancy by 10 years.

According to Bodyfriend, the ‘Great KOREA Special Exhibition’ is a joint exhibition planned by Bodyfriend Art Lab and BHAK, a leading company in the contemporary art market. It will be held continuously for seven months until October in three parts. The first exhibition, ‘Great KOREA: Part 1 Pioneer Exhibition,’ focuses on Nam June Paik, a pioneer of video art.

At Bodyfriend’s headquarters, Nam June Paik’s previously unreleased work ‘Video World 21 (2000)’ will be unveiled to the world for the first time. This large-scale piece features 21 TV monitors surrounding a globe, symbolizing that the entire world will be connected through media in the 21st century. It is regarded as a masterpiece that reflects the visionary insight of a genius artist ahead of his time and demonstrates the social role of art in a changing era.

Jung Hyejung, curator of Bodyfriend Art Lab, said, “Nam June Paik was an artist who turned his attention to science and technology, which the art world at the time did not focus on, and made experimental challenges ahead of his time based on a creative spirit. Bodyfriend has also developed through innovation by pioneering paths no one else has taken, so we prepared a new collaborative exhibition with Nam June Paik to showcase his journey and legacy.”

This exhibition will be held at three locations: Bodyfriend Dogok Tower headquarters, Cafe de Bodyfriend Cheongdam, and Dosan Bodyfriend Lounge S until May 23. Visitors can freely view over 70 works by Nam June Paik in various formats, including video art installations, drawings, prints, and photographs. Customers who collect a stamp certifying their viewing of the artworks on the exhibition pamphlet will receive special benefits such as a free two-person drink voucher at Cafe de Bodyfriend Cheongdam.

Meanwhile, Bodyfriend has newly established an institute called ‘Art Lab’ to conduct research aimed at extending healthy life expectancy by 10 years through customer participation in art and realizing a valuable art life. Bodyfriend explained that it has been presenting a new art life culture by holding collaborative projects with nine artists such as the ‘Healthy Life with Art Exhibition’ in April last year and the special ancient art exhibition ‘Promise of a Millennium’ in November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.