Nam June Paik's "Golden Buddha" may be the mascot for Art Basel Hong Kong

ARTNEWS
By Sarah Douglas

Nam June Paik at Gagosian. ALL PHOTOS BY ARTNEWS

NEW YORK---The mascot for this year’s edition of Art Basel Hong Kong may very well be the 2005 mixed media installation by Korean artist Nam June Paik that fronts Gagosian Gallery’s booth. Golden Buddha consists of a Buddha figure watching itself on a TV monitor, behind which is a camera that films the Buddha and, naturally, anyone who stands behind the Buddha to look at the piece. The work, one of the most photographed works at the fair’s VIP preview at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday evening, reads like a Zen koan for the Instagram age: the buddha is watching you watch yourself. [link]