Key to the Highway (Rosetta Stone)
Date/ 1995
Artist(Credit Line)/ Nam June Paik
Classification/ Print
Dimensions / 86x71cm
Paik realized his idea of ‘electrinic superhiway’ in the shape of the Rosetta stone that was discovered in a small village called Rosetta by Napoleon’s army during his campaign in Egypt. The inscription on the Rosetta Stone was a decree issued by the ptolemaic Dynasty, un three languages: ancient Egypt in both its hieroglyphic and demotic script forms, and ancient Greek, is composed of a video drawing in the upper part, the description of Paik’s artistic career in many languages in the middle part, and images excerpted from his video art, how he participated in the Fluxus art movement, and the relationship with other artists who inspired and were inspired by him in four languages such as Korean, English, French, German, and Japanese – a great epitome of how and in what direction his art developed.
Paik realized his idea of ‘electrinic superhiway’ in the shape of the Rosetta stone that was discovered in a small village called Rosetta by Napoleon’s army during his campaign in Egypt. The inscription on the Rosetta Stone was a decree issued by the ptolemaic Dynasty, un three languages: ancient Egypt in both its hieroglyphic and demotic script forms, and ancient Greek, is composed of a video drawing in the upper part, the description of Paik’s artistic career in many languages in the middle part, and images excerpted from his video art, how he participated in the Fluxus art movement, and the relationship with other artists who inspired and were inspired by him in four languages such as Korean, English, French, German, and Japanese – a great epitome of how and in what direction his art developed.
