Megatron/Matrix – Nam June Paik
Who was the Practitioner?
Nam June Paik was an American – Korean artist considered to be the pioneer and founder of ‘video art’. During the ’60s, Paik’s fascination with televisions and electronics began to incorporate with his creative side, creating many famous artworks and thinking about the ‘electronic superhighway’ in relation to digital communication before most. A true visionary, with most of his works being featured in famous galleries such as the Smithsonian Art Museum.
Background on the work:
Megatron/Matrix is one of Paik’s more famous works, being featured int he Smithsonian. The installation was created in 1995, featuring two sections of 215 separate tv monitors, that loop clips and soundbites that create a larger image when viewed together. The larger side is the ‘Megatron’, representing society and popular culture, looping cartoons and world flags. The smaller side, known as the ‘Matrix’, loops images of humans and real-world things. such as planets. It is thought that their connection is that the humans on the Matrix side are ‘plugged in’ to the digital society, which is quite a prolific and impressive concept for 1995.
How was this piece authored, published and distributed?
The piece was authored by Nam June Paik, during 1995 in his studio. By then, Paik was a well known and respected artist of the video medium, and the pieced was published and distributed by the Smithsonian Museum of art in 1998, where it was on display as a permanent exhibition until 2006. Now, the piece is moved around and set up in seasons. However, images and videos of Megatron/Matrix are distributed online via the museum’s website, various articles and YouTube for viewers to experience on demand.
References
https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/megatronmatrix-36486