Paik was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up and lived in Japan, Germany, and, finally, New York. Paik pioneered the use of new media, including video, in art. For this work, Paik altered a 19th-century Japanese scroll by adding his handprint and placing a flashing red light behind it. The juxtaposition of a traditional art form with modern technology would become a hallmark of Paik’s work.