Photo: 김언호 / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Nam June Paik is, to me, one of the true visionaries of the twentieth century. Inventing video art outright is remarkable enough, but coining electronic super highway in 1974 to describe our networked future borders on prophecy. I admire how effortlessly he crossed borders and disciplines, born in Seoul, trained at the University of Tokyo, honored from the Guggenheim to the Kyoto Prize. He turned television sets, the most mundane object of his era, into something poetic and alive. Standing before his work, I feel I am looking at someone who simply saw the future before the rest of us caught up.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Nam June Paik
- Name (Japanese)
- ナム・ジュン・パイク
- Reading
- なむ・じゅん・ぱいく
- Born
- July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Monkey
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- video artist / university teacher / composer / painter / photographer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Kyunggi High School
- University
- University of Tokyo
Awards & achievements
- 1977 Guggenheim Fellowship
- 1986 Maya Deren Award
- 1991 Goslarer Kaiserring
- 1995 Ho-Am Prize in the Arts
- 1995 Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
- 1997 Goethe Medal
- 1998 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy
- 2001 Wilhelm Lehmbruck Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Internet Dream | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Nam June Paik born?
July 20, 1932 – January 29, 2006.
Where is Nam June Paik from?
Nam June Paik is from Seoul, South Korea.
What does Nam June Paik do?
Nam June Paik works as video artist, university teacher, composer, painter, photographer.
What is Nam June Paik known for?
Notable works include Internet Dream.
University teacher — see all → · More people from South Korea →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.