SOUTH KOREA. Shinsegae Duty Free has partnered with Nam June Paik Art Centre to present ‘V Groove!’, an interactive art experience that blends the physical and digital worlds. It is running at the Iconic Zone on the 10th floor of Shinsegae Duty Free’s Myeongdong department store from 8 to 24 September.
The exhibition is the first project to be released through Shinsegae Duty Free and Nam June Paik Art Centre’s new annual partnership.
V Groove proposes an exciting imaginary world where the real and virtual converge based on the predictions of the late Korean/American video artist Nam June Paik.
Nam is often considered as the father of video art and was the first to use the term ‘Electronic Superhighway’ to describe the future of telecommunications. V Groove vibrantly portrays Nam’s own predictions and portrayals of the digital world, reinterpreted through a modern lens and using the latest virtual- (VR) and augmented-reality (AR) technology.
Media artist HWI has reinterpreted Nam’s video art for V Groove!, including the music video My Jubilee ist Unverhemmet (the future of my art is limitless), to commemorate what would have been Nam’s 90th birthday. The work is screening on the Myeondong store’s media façade, while the Iconic Zone is offering a VR experience of Nam’s most popular masterpieces.
These include his works Video Chandelier No. 1 and Swiss Watch, which are being broadcast through transparent OLED screens developed using LG display technology. The Nam’s Transmission: Reaching Out to You piece is currently on display at the Nam June Paik Art Centre and will also be featured on the VIP programme of the Frieze art fair.
Shinsegae Duty Free is committed to celebrating art by creating the first art experience space in its Myeongdong store. It is also the first retailer to collaborate with the National Museum of Korea to release immersive digital content that promotes Korean heritage and culture in a modern way.
Shinsegae Duty Free commented: “We are pleased to present the V Groove! exhibition, where you can watch and enjoy the works of legendary video artist Nam June Paik. We hope that the large media façade and advanced technologies such as AR and VR will provide a unique opportunity to experience Nam June Paik’s masterpieces without physical limitations. ✈
