[YeitSuda] What Would Nam June Paik Say If He Saw the Restored 'Dadaikseon'?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A few years ago, an art collector in Valencia, Spain, was shocked when he received back a restored replica of the Virgin Mary by the Baroque painting master Murillo that he had entrusted to a restorer. After cleaning and restoration, the Virgin Mary returned with a completely different face. The Spanish Association for the Conservation of Artworks (ACRE) immediately called for strict national regulation of qualifications for masterpiece restoration following this incident, but the artwork was already damaged.

Spain, known as a strong art nation that produced Picasso, Joan Mir?, Dal?, and Vel?zquez, has repeatedly suffered international embarrassment due to clumsy artwork restorations. In 2012, the 19th-century fresco "Ecce Homo" in the Misericordia Church in Borja City was severely damaged by moisture and other issues, and when a local restorer attempted to fix it, the artwork was ruined, becoming a subject of ridicule with the nickname Ecce Mono ("Behold the Monkey") instead of Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man"). In 2018, a wooden statue of Saint George at the Church of Saint Michael in Estella was damaged after restoration, resembling a cartoon character, leading authorities to fine the workshop responsible.

Artworks, exposed to time and external environments from the moment of their creation, inevitably require preservation and restoration as they age. In the global art community, the importance of conservation ethics?which prevents artworks from being altered due to restorers’ standards or preferences, as seen in Spain’s restoration disasters?is emphasized alongside restoration technology and preventive conservation. Furthermore, as art genres expand beyond painting and sculpture to media art and installation art, the role of conservators (Conservator: art preservation experts) is gradually expanding into technician and management fields.

“Dadaikseon,” the largest work by Nam June Paik, which had been dormant for over four years due to safety and preservation issues, recently completed restoration and resumed operation. Given the characteristics of the monitors released at the time of the artwork’s creation, “Dadaikseon” was a time-limited piece, designed to operate for about 80,000 hours (approximately 18 years) at 12 hours per day. Although it was originally agreed to be exhibited for only 10 years, a major repair and replacement was carried out in 2003 with the artist’s consent. However, due to monitor limitations, repairs and replacements were repeated, and operation was eventually halted in 2018. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, which undertook the restoration, faced a challenge because there were almost no domestic cases of media art preservation.

In contrast, countries active in media art restoration employ various methods. Germany’s ZKM Museum regularly purchases identical cathode-ray tube monitors to prepare for repairs. Japan’s ICC Museum proceeds with modifications applying new media with the artist’s consent or undertakes restoration work with delegated authority. The UK’s FACT Museum keeps the TV cases intact but replaces the internal cathode-ray tubes with flat monitors, preserving originality while applying new technology. “Dadaikseon” was restored over three years by securing used monitors and replacing 737 cathode-ray tubes and 266 LCDs of 6 and 10 inches, based on the principle of “maintaining the original form as much as possible while introducing some replaceable display technology when unavoidable.”

“I use machines as resistance to machines.” The recent restoration of “Dadaikseon,” continuing Nam June Paik’s message, is expected to mark a new turning point in the preservation and restoration of media art in Korea. If the artist had seen “Dadaikseon,” restored as close to the original as possible, what would he have said?

Editor's NoteYeitsuda (藝It Suda) is an abbreviation for “Art Talk,” a column covering issues and trends across the arts, including music, visual arts, and performances.

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