In the Tower: Nam June Paik

March 13 – October 2, 2011
East Building, Tower Gallery

This exhibition is no longer on view at the National Gallery.

Overview: 20 works by Nam June Paik were shown in this exhibition, which included video sculptures and works on paper by the artist. The video sculpture One Candle, Candle Projection was the centerpiece of the installation. Each morning a candle was lit for the work and a video camera followed its progress throughout the day. Two other closed-circuit video works also were on view. Works in the exhibition included loans from the Estate of Nam June Paik, as well as gifts from Robert Rauschenberg, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel, and the Hakuta Family. A new acquisition, Untitled (Red Hand), a gift of the Hakuta Family, was included. This was the third in a series of exhibitions in the Tower Gallery focusing on developments in art since the mid-20th century.

A public symposium, "In the Tower: Nam June Paik," was presented on September 23 and included lectures by Christine Mehring, associate professor of art history and director of graduate studies, University of Chicago, and Stephen Vitiello, associate professor of kinetic imaging, Virginia Commonwealth University, followed by a conversation with Ken Hakuta, executor, and John Huffman, curator of the Estate of Nam June Paik. Harry Cooper, curator and head of modern and contemporary art, National Gallery of Art, was moderator. A short film about Paik, narrated by video scholar John Hanhardt, was shown within the installation.

Organization: The exhibition was organized by the National Gallery of Art. Harry Cooper, curator and head of modern and contemporary art, was curator.

Sponsor: The exhibition was supported by The Exhibition Circle of the National Gallery of Art.

Attendance: 99,091 (204 days)