Mary Bauermeister and Ryuichi Sakamoto, both of who were close friends and colleagues of Nam June Paik, have passed away in March, 2023.
May your gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
Nam June Paik Art Center offers sincere condolences to their family and friends, and in memory of the two artists, presents a screening of two video clips from Paik’s Video Study (njpvideo.ggcf.kr).
Mary Bauermeister (1934-2023) was a German artist, who had run Atelier Mary Bauermeister in Cologne, where being held numerous Fluxus performances in the early 1960’s, had kept close relationships with Fluxus artists. She had been a close friend of Nam June Paik throughout her life, had supported Paik being relocated in New York as well as starting video art in the 1960’s. Mary Bauermeister archive collection comprises letters between Bauermeister and Paik presenting their friendship as well as art practice, all of which were published as monograph Letters, Mary Bauermeister: Nam June Paik Art Center Interviews (2015).
Ryuichi Sakamoto (1952-2023), an Academy winning Japanese musician, had worked in various fields of art including music composition, film, music producing, and piano performance. Participated in Nam June Paik’s one of satellite projects, Bye Bye Kipling (1986), Sakamoto had sincere friendship with Paik as well as John Cage. In addition, Paik created a single channel video, All Star Video, with Sakamoto in 1984. Clips of Sakamoto in his thirties, having interviews with Paik and Cage, strolling Manhattan capturing sound for his work and among others, could be found from Paik’s Video Study.
Memorial Screening: Mary Bauermeister and Ryuichi Sakamoto