08/09/2025
At the Hudson Valley MOCA, we often get asked “What is the most popular piece in your collection?” The answer to this question is, overwhelmingly, Nam June Paik’s Global Encoder (1994). Located right as you enter the museum, this larger-than-life robot is our by far most talked-about and photographed piece of artwork. Do you have a favorite memory/photo of Global Encoder from a visit to HVMOCA? Post it on social media and tag us to share!
“Nam June Paik’s Global Encoder, which consists of a variety of technological hardware, turns impersonal technology into a humanoid form. The figure carries a parasol made from the familiar satellite dish–a technology that was popularized in the 80s. But Pail has played with this familiar image by placing neon zodiac symbols on the underside of the dish, causing soft blue and yellow light to rain onto the figure. To Paik, the satellite was an important symbol of connection, allowing people to communicate across the increasingly globalized world. Global Encoder is part of a larger series of figurative sculptures created by Paik in the late 80s and 90s.
Born in Seoul, Korea in 1932, Paik’s artistic practice earned him international recognition, as well as the title “Father of Video Art.” After being paralized on his left side by a stroke in 1999, he died suddenly in 2006 in Florida at the age of 74.”
