Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, "2020: Who's Laughing? +? =??" will be held at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art in Jingumae, Tokyo, from July 17th. Nam June Paik is known as the "father of video art." After presenting the world's first video artwork in Wuppertal in 1963, he traveled to Japan, where color television broadcasting had just begun, to explore the possibilities of television art. Using parts he collected in Akihabara, he collaborated with Shuya Abe, an engineer working at TBS, to create the world's first art robot, "K-456." He subsequently created numerous works that blend technology with Buddhist concepts, including "Magnet TV," which distorts the scan lines of a cathode ray tube (CRT) screen with a powerful magnet; "Global Groove," a video art piece that had a profound influence on later music videos; and "TV Garden," which replaces a Zen temple rock garden with a television. In 1974, he conceived the "Electronic Superhighway," a precursor to the modern Internet. In 1984, he presented "Good Morning, Mr. Orwell," a satellite art piece that simultaneously broadcast a performance around the world using satellite technology.

This exhibition features 230 works from the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art's collection, including installations, videos, paintings, and drawings from the artist's most active period from the 1970s to the 1990s. To further deepen understanding of his work, the exhibition also features unpublished manuscripts written by Paik himself, video art created at Eiheiji Temple, where he practices Zen, and television interview footage by Tetsuya Chikushi. Additionally, a special exhibition room will feature works related to German artist Joseph Beuys, with whom Nam June Paik collaborated throughout his life on a project called "Eurasia." The title of the exhibition comes from a bold prediction made by Nam June Paik in 1993 for the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art catalog: "Who will be laughing in 2020?" 26 years ago, Nam June Paik, said to be the greatest artist of the 20th century, predicted who will be laughing in 2020. The answer lies hidden within the exhibition. The exhibition is divided into two parts: Part 1 runs from July 17th to October 10th, and Part 2 runs from October 15th to January 29th, 2017.
【Event Information】
"Who's Laughing in 2020? +? =??"
Venue: Watari Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 3-7-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: July 17th - October 10th, October 15th - January 29th, 2017
Time: 11:00 - 19:00 (until 21:00 on Wednesdays)
Admission: Adults 1,000 yen, Students (under 25) 800 yen, Elementary and junior high school students 500 yen, Those 70 and over 700 yen
Closed: Mondays (open on July 18th, September 19th, October 10th, December 5th, 12th, 19th, and January 9th, 2017), October 11th - 14th, December 31st - January 3rd, 2017