This is an artwork by Nam June Paik who was an American-Korean artist and was considered as the founder of video art. This artwork is called Portable God. What do you think is going on in this artwork? What does it look like to you?

• Paik transformed an antique Buddhist altar into a shrine to the television, blending spiritual elements with technology.  
• The television was once the most important device in the household, but now it’s just one of many screens we use. If you were to recreate this artwork today, what would you put on the shrine?
• Do you think art like this can help us better understand our relationship with technology? Why or why not? How might it change the way we think about our use of screens and devices?

To find the next artwork on your exploration, you won’t have to travel far… see the image below for a clue.

Nam June Paik, Portable God, 1989. Courtesy of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, Dallas, James Cohan Gallery, and the Paik Estate, Woodside, California, © Estate of Nam June Paik