Overview

This book explores the profound connections between Nam June Paik’s artistic vision and Korean shamanism, a theme that has been largely overlooked in English-language scholarship. Drawing from key historical performances and theoretical insights, this volume examines Paik’s role as a shamanic figure who mediated between past and future, technology and tradition, and material and spiritual realms. The book situates Paik’s work within broader discourses on emerging media, emphasizing how his engagement with shamanism extends beyond ritual performance to a conceptual framework of communication, transformation, and spiritual resonance. It also investigates Paik’s legacy in relation to dark shamanism and neoliberalism, offering new perspectives on the cultural and political dimensions of his art. By bringing together critical essays from leading scholars, Electronic Shaman provides an essential resource for those interested in media art, shamanism, and the intersections of technology and spirituality in contemporary culture.

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9783032209436

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Joonseong Lee is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at California State University San Marcos, USA. His research explores the intersections of media theory, religion, and emerging media, with a particular focus on Korean shamanism and media culture. A former Buddhist monk, he brings together postmodern philosophy and Eastern philosophical traditions—especially Buddhism and Taoism—to examine how spirituality, technology, and culture shape contemporary media practices. Through extensive fieldwork in Korea and sustained scholarly engagement with the work of Nam June Paik, Lee investigates shamanism as a critical framework for understanding mediation, performance, and technological imagination. His research reconsiders Paik’s artistic practice through media theory and shamanic epistemology, offering new perspectives on ritual, technology, and cultural memory in the digital age.  

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