The Nam June Paik Art Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has unveiled its latest commission exhibition, Breathing Songs, featuring new works by four contemporary artists: Anne Duk Hee Jordan, Egle Budvytyte, Tetsuya Umeda, and Choi Chan Sook. Running from September 12 to December 15, 2024, the exhibition represents a groundbreaking initiative by the center to explore pressing themes of the modern era through newly commissioned works.
The NJP Commission is a bold new format that positions the art center as a reflective and active participant in contemporary art. By commissioning mid-career artists to create original works that delve into significant societal issues, the center bridges the gap between art’s aesthetic and functional roles. Through collaborative curation involving external curators, the exhibition’s structure fosters diverse perspectives, making the center a dynamic space for dialogue and exploration.
Anne Duk Hee Jordan’s commissioned piece, Welcoming All That Comes, examines the interplay between machines and humans under the theme of “artificial stupidity.” Inspired by Nam June Paik’s legacy, her installation integrates LED lighting, a programmed piano with sound elements, vintage computers, silicone hands, and a water-filled tank. Activated by viewer interaction, the piece uses precise sensor-based mechanisms to reflect fragmented machine images on the water’s surface, symbolizing the breakdown of rigid technological narratives.
Egle Budvytyte combines performance and visual art to question societal norms and power dynamics. In her collaborative performance workshop Carried Away, Dragged Behind, conducted with Korean performers, Budvytyte investigates the layered meanings of the act of “dragging,” from violence to care. Her works Song Sing Soil performed on a trampoline of compost and earth, and Compost Song: Mutating Bodies, Exploding Stars, a video installation, emphasize the symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment, highlighting the necessity of coexistence.
Tetsuya Umeda’s A Walk About Water invites visitors to discover hidden corners of the Nam June Paik Art Center. Through site-specific sound installations and performances, Umeda transforms unnoticed spaces into immersive experiences. His reinterpretation of Nam June Paik’s iconic works, such as TV Garden and TV Fish, alongside his orchestration of the museum’s archive and backstages, reveals unseen aspects of the institution’s architectural and cultural significance.
Choi Chan Sook explores narratives of migration and displacement through her interdisciplinary practice. Her two-channel video installations The Tumble and The Tumble: All That Fall are the first two parts of a trilogy inspired by tumbleweed—plants that detach from their roots and scatter seeds through the wind. In The Tumble: All That Fall, Choi documents her journey across Arizona, chronicling her encounters with Iraq war veterans and the Apache community. These individuals share stories of sacred lands and their resistance to displacement, creating a poignant narrative of connection and resilience.
The exhibition title, Breathing Songs, reflects the artists’ varied tonalities and expressions, weaving an intricate symphony of unique rhythms. Even as the sounds diverge, they resonate collectively, offering a vision of harmony in diversity. Through their works, the artists revisit the ecological and social ramifications of anthropocentrism while exploring the interconnectedness between humans and objects.
At its core, Breathing Songs redefines the museum’s purpose—not merely as a showcase of beauty but as a platform for sharing and engaging with the lived realities of our time. By fostering a dialogue between art, life, and the audience, the Nam June Paik Art Center establishes itself as a vibrant site for storytelling and communal reflection.
Sayart / Jason Yim, yimjongho1969@gmail.com
