II. _ 3. The Case of the Nam-june Paik Museum, Korea

Art Museums
Their History, Present Situation and Vision:

the case of the Republic of Korea : through historical survey, the case studies of private art museums and the "Mo-am Collection"

  

Paik nam june Art Center

  

Ministry of Strategy and Finance 기획재정부 

 

3. The Case of the Nam-june Paik Museum, Korea
According to the future master plan for Korean art museums, [Tentative Project Title] Art Museum Development Vision 2020 (2008 ~2020), designed by The National Museum of Contemporary art, Korea (Gwacheon: Dec. 2006), many major projects are planned. This includes the foundation of the Seoul National Museum of Contemporary Art, the foundation of the National Museum of Modern Art, the promotion of a number of public art museums, the promotion of a number of university art museums, and the creation of national, public, and private art studios. In the process of the project, each of the 16 provincial governments in Korea is going to establish at least one art museum in its region７１.

Under to the future master plan for art museums in Korea, [Tentative Project Title] Art Museum Development Vision 2020 (2008 ~2020), designed by The National Museum of Contemporary art, Korea (Gwacheon: Dec. 2006), many major projects are planned. This includes the foundation of the Seoul National Museum of Contemporary Art, the foundation of the National Museum of Modern Art, the promotion of a numbers of public art museums, the promotion of many university art museums, and the creation of

national, public, and private art studios. In the process of the project, each of the sixteen provincial governments in Korea is going to establish at least one art museum in its region７２.
The project of the Nam-june Paik Museum７３ started in Nov. 2001 and is planned to be completed in 2008. The museum is located on Gi-heung in Yong-in, Gyeonggi. It costs about $ 40 million dollars, and this budget is being taken completely from public tax revenue.

Problems
Nam-june Paik, undoubtedly, was one of world renowned artists of the twentieth century, he became famous for Video art and Video installation. However, to review and re-evaluate his art is only the beginning after his death. There are still standing some controversial matters, especially in Korea７４ in that the life’s work of Nam June Paik is not yet fully examined. It is also important to mention his nationality which still causes controversy in Korea７５. The proposed museum will be built with the total

support of public tax revenue. In consequence budget planers and almost all government officers think a museum for ‘a foreign national’ should not be built with public funds７６. For this reason in 2003, the Korean Board of Audit and Inspection advised the Gyeonggi-do to integrate the Nam-June Paik Museum project into the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art for the purpose of public budget misuse prevention. However, the Gyeonggi-do declined the suggestion of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea７７. In relation to the budget, the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation hasn’t properly negotiated the purchasing price of Paik’s works. This caused them to waste the public budget and this matter is connected with the inadequacy of the committee members and staff７８ of the Nam-june Paik Museum in the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation７９.

Suggestion
As per the suggestion of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea, the Gyeonggi-do could integrate this project into the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art. The other possibility could be for the Gyeonggi-do to change the Nam-june Paik Museum to the

Gyeonggi Comprehensive Art institution and to create the section of Nam-june Paik in that museum, because the Gyeonggi-do is constructing the museum building at this time. For doing this, many conditions must be solved, such as the consent from the architect, Christen Shemel, of the building, and the discussion and consent from the delegates of Nam-june Paik, and so forth. This process is very complicated, but the Gyeonggi-do could create the best example of prevention of public budget misuse.

ⓒ 모암문고 www.moamcollection.org