Nam June Paik | 2021
[Exhibition project undertaken with FARM]
https://www.farm.sg/projects/details/nam_jun_paik
Nam June Paik: The Future Is Now surveys five decades of Nam June Paik's pioneering work in the use of television and video in art. National Gallery Singapore was the only Asian venue for this exhibition, and this was the first time a comprehensive institutional survey of his work was presented in Southeast Asia.
Amidst the visual and multisensory riot of Nam June Paik's installations, we set the works in a white box space for a neutral, non-distracting viewing experience. We then step back from the white box by accentuating the space with bold colour strips on walls, reminiscent of the SMPTE color bars, a familiar colour test pattern for television in the olden days.
Using a ratio of 80:20 balance between the white box and colour accents, the colours within the space does not overwhelm the works but is carefully considered to guide sight lines and complement the artworks. As one walks through the gallery, the bold colours guide the visitors and orientate them through the exhibition. In other cases, the colours take on the role of a feature wall, complementing the works while anchoring them within the space.
Special attention was also paid to the design of the artwork plinths. They were multi-tiered and triangular in nature to break up the regularity of the box and introduced a greater sense of dynamism within the space. The showcases and seatings adopt a neutral white look as well, but exposes the raw finish of the steel supports, paying subtle homage to Nam June Paik's use of scaffoldings in his work, the 'Sistine Chapel'.
