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Nam June Paik «Zen for Head»
Nam June Paik, «Zen for Head», 1962
Photography | © Nam June Paik


 Nam June Paik
«Zen for Head»

Karlheinz Stockhausen invited Paik to make a 7-minute appearance in the performances of his piece 'Originale' ('Originals'), which was first presented in Cologne on 26 October 1961. Paik varied his music action from performance to performance, but 'Simple' and 'Zen for Head' were basic elements which Paik later presented outside the scope of 'Originale', for instance in 1962 at the festival 'Fluxus Festspiele neuester Musik', Wiesbaden (photo). In 'Zen for Head', Paik dips his head in paint and draws a line on paper – in this way connecting his radical action with Asiatic calligraphy.