Paik Nam-june’s ‘The More, The Better’ returns

Late world-famous video artist Paik Nam-june’s (1932-2006) largest work of art, “The More, The Better,” is back to restart operation after a three-year restoration job.

“Turning off in 2018, the work of the video art went through repairs for the sake of preservation and restoration starting from the following year,” a staff in the museum said. “It is switched back on.”

Located in the MMCA in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, this gigantic piece, 18 meters in height, consists of 1,003 cathode ray tube TV monitors of 6-25 inches. It was officially released at an unveiling ceremony on Sept. 15, 1988, just two days before the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul. Even after repairs were made for superannuated monitors and other parts, fire risks grew to put the work on pause in February 2018.

The repair job of preservation and restoration began in September 2019, to fix or replace 737 monitors of the piece. LCD panels were applied to 266 monitors that went on their last legs with their exterior parts left intact. Cooling equipment was set up to improve environmental conditions to extend its life span. The original video content was converted into a digital version.

The MMCA said that Paik’s “The More, The Better” was scheduled to return to commemorate the unveiling ceremony and the 90th anniversary of the author’s birth. It will stay on for two hours, four days a week, to ensure stable operation. “Merry Mix: The More, The Better,” the commemorative exposition on related archives for its return is free from Friday through Feb. 26, next year.


beborn@donga.com