Nam June Paik and Korean Contemporary Art at MAO Turin

The MAO – Museo d’Arte Orientale in Turin presents 'Rabbit Inhabits the Moon', an exhibition centered on Nam June Paik (1932–2006), the pioneering video artist. The show takes its title from Paik’s 1996 installation featuring a wooden rabbit gazing at a moon on a TV screen. Curated by MAO director Davide Quadrio and Korean critic Joanne Kim, with Anna Musini and Francesca Filisetti, the exhibition pairs Paik’s iconic works with pieces by contemporary Korean artists and traditional artifacts. It marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and South Korea, in partnership with the Nam June Paik Art Center (Yongin), Fondazione Bonotto (Colceresa), and the Korea Foundation. Loans come from Fondazione Bonotto, Musée Guimet (Paris), Museo d’Arte Orientale (Genoa), and Museo delle Civiltà (Rome). The thematic, non-chronological layout highlights affinities across time and space. Paik’s practice—informed by his training as a pianist and musicologist, his Fluxus involvement, and his collaboration with cellist Charlotte Moorman—merges technological progress with Korean shamanic and ritual traditions. The exhibition aims to foster dialogue between Italy and Korea and reflect on Paik’s legacy for new generations.