SEOUL.- Random Access Project 4.0 is the first exhibition of the year 2025 at the Nam June Paik Art Center. It is the fourth version of Random Access Project which introduces experimental young contemporary artists. In 2025, the exhibition features seven teams of eight artists from both domestic and international backgrounds: Goyoson, Honam Kim, Saroot Supasuthivech, yang02, Chang Hanna, Hyeseon Jeong&Seongmin Yuk, and Han Uri. The participating artists present 14 works embodying Nam June Paik’s experimental spirit, transcending conventional perceptions and frameworks.

The title of this exhibition is derived from Random Access, a work shown in Paik’s first solo exhibition Exhibition of Music—Electronic Television in 1963. In the work, the audience could create sound directly with a magnetic head, following the audio tapes spread out on the wall. It encapsulates Paik’s experimental spirit that broke away from conventional concepts and structures. The poster used in the exhibition, which was a site of innovative artistic experimentation, features the phrase “que sais-je?” (What do I know?). The question embodies the skeptical thought of the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne who pursued constant self-reflection and intellectual inquiry. It encapsulates his philosophy, which challenges absolute truths and established conventions while recognizing the limits and uncertainties of human reason. The question of self-knowledge must have been a motto that the young Paik reflected on while gaining fame as a performance artist and venturing into the uncharted territory of “media art” over 60 years ago.

Montaigne’s question of “What do I know?” and Paik’s artistic thought that “perpetual dissatisfaction is perpetual evolution” resonate with each other and offer a timeless insight to today’s young artists. The participating artists unveil the hidden values within modern civilization and raise questions about the established ways of thinking and conventions. They create cracks in the rigid layers of stereotypes and spark new perspectives on the world, like light streaming through the cracks. Nam June Paik Art Center hopes that this exhibition will gently break down the invisible boundaries in our consciousness and provide a space that inspires free and flexible thinking with an open mind.

Artists: Goyoson, Honam Kim, Saroot Supasuthivech, yang02, Chang Hanna, Hyeseon Jeong&Seongmin Yuk, Han Uri

Curator: Lim Chae-eun