The First TV Buddha by Nam June Paik

Details

From the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam to the MoMA San Francisco:
The very first TV Buddha made a pit stop at our workshop before
heading to its' new station in the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco.

This is the original TV and camera Paik has given to the director of the Stedelijk Museum back then.
Besides the original, a replica was restored, so that there is a spare in case of technical difficulties.

It is considered as a early "Closed Circuit" installation, where the orignal, the buddha, and the image is seen simultaneously.


Only video craft can make this presence possible.


Next to all the thoughts about western and eastern philosophy this meaning is often overlooked.

TV Buddha was brought to life to fill a empty space in a New York exhibition in 1974.
Stedelijk Museum purchased this artwork in the same year.

The model JVC Videosphere 3240 is an eye-cather itself and makes this iconic work of video art stand out even more.