National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea(MMCA) is pleased to present Video Vintage: 1963-1983 in Circular Gallery 1. Consisting of works from the new media collection at Centre Pompidou, France, the exhibition displays 72 works by 52 major artists whose oeuvre demonstrate the historical development of video art.
Video Vintage: 1963-1983 has been organized as one of special exhibitions commemorating the opening of MMCA Seoul on November 12th, 2013. In line with the opening of its Seoul branch, MMCA is reinforcing its networks with prominent art museums around the world. As part of MMCA’s efforts to promote such exchanges, Video Vintage: 1963-1983 has been organized in collaboration with Centre Pompidou, following David Hockney: Bigger Trees Near Warter, a join exhibition with Tate Modern., UK.
Administering a photography/film/video department since its establishment in 1977 and founding the new media department at Paris MuseĢe Nationale d'Art Moderne, its affiliate organization in 1982, Centre Pompidou has collected and exhibited video art works since the embryonic stage of video art. This exhibition is organized under the conviction that there is great significance in observing the research, experimentation and aesthetic development of video art in the last half of century before we advance forwards in the contemporary art movement where the digital genre is gradually becoming more emphasized.
Consisting of artists from various cultural backgrounds, Video Vintage: 1963-1983 takes a retrospective look on the history of video art — a vital part of contemporary art history in 1960s to 70s — from its embryonic period. The exhibition consists of three parts: first, performance and self- recording, second, experiences related to the development of television, and third, a more conceptual and critical research. As demonstrated by the title Video Vintage, the exhibition presents a vintage-style space mimicking the atmosphere of the period when video emerged. The exhibition focuses on the period 1960s – 80s, when the dissemination of TV gave rise to the popular culture, and TV and couch replaced the fireplace at the center of the house. Artists like Nam June Paik, Gerry Schum, Valie Export and Jan Dibbetts started to recognize TV as a new exhibition space, and artists started to experiment with TV and video medium, projecting video works through the TV channel. Like the audience at the time who viewed video art while having dinner at home, the audience at this exhibition can observe the works through old CRT monitors in comfy couches in 18 living rooms.
Video Vintage: 1963-1983 has been organized by Christine van Assche (curator), the head of curatorial department of New Media division at Centre Pompidou in collaboration with Florence Parot(associate curator). Starting February 2012, the exhibition toured from Centre Pompidou to ZKM in Karlsruhe, Germany, and Beirut Art Center, Lebanon, and is opening for the first time in Asia at MMCA.
*image (left)
The Eternal Frame, 1976,
conception ANT FARM
© David Ross, University of California , Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
