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Paik on satellite art.
Paik-
"Since today we have satellites, we want to use them, discover what we, artists,
can do with them. We want to try something new, in the tradition of Monet and Picasso". This is,
in fact, a very old relationship. The Egyptian pyramids are the first example of a combination of high art and high tech,
because they used many of the cutting edge technologies of the time. Their culture was very well developed. They had chemical
industries (which produced colored pigments for painting), advanced building techniques, sophisticated security systems (to
prevent invasion of the sacred spaces), and efficient mummification processes for the preservation of the human body, among
other things. Today, new technologies can be used in art in two basic ways: in the fine arts and in the applied arts. Fine
art is art for art's sake, in which I identify a kind of extension of conceptual art, according to which the concept is the
context and the context is the concept. The context is the content; the content is the context. This means that the fine arts
have always been interested in the new horizons of possibilities. When Picasso created Cubism, he did so because he was tired
of Impressionism. Monet created Impressionism because he was tired of Academicism ÐÐ artists have always been interested in
the new sensibility, in exploring new possibilities. Since today we have satellites, we want to use them, discover what we,
artists, can do with them. We want to try something new, in the tradition of Monet and Picasso. These same instruments (satellites)
are used in the applied arts, which are essential to humankind because they are useful in everyday life. But there is also
the military use of satellites. We want to use satellites for pacifist purposes, such as the performance arts, rock'n roll,
dance, etc.; and we can make simultaneous transmissions between Rio de Janeiro, New York, Seoul, Bonn, Tokyo, Moscow and many
other cities. It is clear that the applied arts are directly related to people's activities, but the fine arts are more meaningful
than the applied arts.
"I like how the world helps
make my art"
-Henry Ekman Klein
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