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Nam June Paik – Electronic Superhighway - Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, 1995, fifty-one channel video installation (including one closed-circuit television feed), Smithsonian American Art Museum — Nam June Paik – *Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii*, 1995, fifty-one channel video installation (including one closed-circuit television feed), custom electronics, neon lighting, steel and wood; color, sound, approx. 15 x 40 x 4 ft., at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, photo by jpellgen (@1105_jp)

Address

Smithsonian American Art Museum, F St NW &, 8th St NW, Washington, DC 20004 Copy to clipboard

38.897896, -77.02314 Copy to clipboard

Visit information

Accessibility

The Smithsonian American Art Museum is wheelchair-accessible and designed to accommodate visitors with disabilities.

Sensory-rich features like neon lights and video screens are highlights, with additional resources such as tactile and ASL tours available.

Before you go

Nearby attractions: Explore the National Portrait Gallery, also located in the same building, or visit other nearby landmarks like the National Mall and Chinatown.

Peak hours: Afternoons and weekends can be busy. Plan your visit during weekday mornings for a quieter experience.

Photography: Photography is allowed, but flash and tripods are prohibited to preserve the artwork.

Recommended attire: Dress comfortably, as you may spend time exploring the museum and nearby attractions.

Traffic: The Penn Quarter area can experience heavy traffic, especially during rush hours and events.

Best visit time

The best time to visit is weekday mornings, as the museum is quieter and less crowded.

Directions

Gallery Place-Chinatown Station

Lines: Green, Yellow, Red Metro Lines

By foot: Exit the station onto F Street NW, and the museum is a 2-minute walk west on F Street.

Walking distance: 0.1 miles

Judiciary Square Station

Lines: Red Metro Line

By foot: Exit the station onto F Street NW, head east, and walk 7 minutes to the museum entrance.

Walking distance: 0.3 miles

Parking

Numerous parking garages are available in close proximity. Public transportation or rideshare services are recommended due to limited street parking.

Union Station

Lines: Amtrak, MARC, and Red Metro Line

By foot: From Union Station, take the Red Line to Judiciary Square Station or Gallery Place-Chinatown Station. Then follow the walking directions.

Walking distance: 1 mile

What is Nam June Paik’s Electronic Superhighway?

Electronic Superhighway is one of the most noted works of Korean Nam June Paik artist. It illustrates how he interpreted a diverse nation through media technology. The Electronic Superhighway is a large installation, constructed with 336 televisions, 50 VHS players, 3750 feet of cable, and 575 feet of multicolored neon tubing.

The impact on visitors

Electronic Superhighway creates an overwhelming impact on visitors when they first see it. The wave of audio and visual media, along with flashing neon lights, make it awe-inspiring. It becomes challenging to concentrate on any state that the neon lights border or the video dialogues that play for each state.

Paik’s idea of the US states

Through this huge techno-sculpture, Paik not only articulated how he saw a diverse and multi-cultural country like the USA but also our future. Each state is represented through a video clip that conveys his understanding of it. Paik shows how our concept of the different states has been formed by film and television.

1 min 4 sec

While some states are represented by popular TV series or books, he uses his personal connections to depict some states. These scenes and more were picked by Nam June Paik and show the US through his lens.

State	Representation	Details
Alabama	Civil Rights Movement	Black-and-white TV footage and Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches document Civil Rights struggles
Alaska	Ice and Snow	Imagery of Alaska's rugged natural beauty emphasizes its cold climate and isolation
Arizona	Highways	Expansive highway footage reflects the iconic road networks of the Southwest
Arkansas	Charlotte Moorman (performance artist)	Features videos of performance artist Charlotte Moorman, Paik's collaborator
California	Golden Gate Bridge, Digital Revolution, O.J. Simpson	Fast-moving montage with zeros and ones, Golden Gate Bridge, and an O.J. Simpson-led exercise class
Colorado	Amateur Sports	Footage highlights outdoor sports culture and the state's natural athleticism
Florida	Tucked Neon Outline	Part of Florida's neon outline is folded under due to studio height constraints
Georgia	1996 Summer Olympics	Clips of the Atlanta Olympics capture a moment of global attention on Georgia
Hawaii	South Pacific	Scenes evoke Hawaii’s tropical landscapes, culture, and cinematic portrayal
Idaho	Potatoes	A camera pans across a giant pile of potatoes, reflecting limited knowledge of the state
Illinois	Chicago and Lincoln	Rapid scenes of Chicago's urban life interspersed with images of Abraham Lincoln
Indiana	Indy 500	Highlights the excitement and speed of the famous car race
Iowa	Political Campaigns	Montage of presidential candidates like JFK, Nixon, and Carter reflects Iowa's primary significance
Kansas	The Wizard of Oz	Clips from the iconic film emphasize themes of fantasy and the Midwest
Kentucky	Kentucky Derby	Images of horse racing celebrate the state’s cultural and sporting traditions
Massachusetts	John Cage (composer)	Paik’s friend John Cage symbolizes avant-garde artistry and innovation
Mississippi	Showboat	Clips from the musical evoke riverboat culture and Southern traditions
Missouri	Meet Me in St. Louis	Scenes from the musical highlight St. Louis’ cultural history
Oklahoma	Oklahoma! Musical	Clips from the musical showcase the state's cultural identity
Rhode Island	Tiny Television	A single small TV symbolizes the state’s small size and individuality
South Dakota	George McGovern (politician)	Features the prominent politician, emphasizing personal over monumental symbols like Mount Rushmore
Texas	Cowgirls, Cactus, Branch Davidian Siege	Collage includes cowboy culture, cactus, and the 1993 Waco fires
Washington	Merce Cunningham (dancer & choreographer)	Pays tribute to the choreographer’s contributions to modern dance
Washington, D.C.	Mini-Cam Viewer Feedback	Visitors’ faces are captured live and displayed on a tiny screen

Paik’s vision for the future

Paik named this video installation Electronic Superhighway to express his vision for the future. He envisioned that in the future, communication would be boundaryless due to advanced technology. It would be pertinent to mention that what Paik envisaged has now been manifested through the internet. In fact, the term is universally used today.

Inspired by the American highway system

On another level, America’s highway system, which connects the nation, inspired Paik to create the Electronic Superhighway. The video clips run very fast to imitate how one sees the country through a moving car.

Conclusion

The Electronic Superhighway continues to amaze people due to its sheer size and various interpretations. It draws our attention to how our world is defined by technology and also the problems it creates, like stereotyping our ideas or information overload. In a nutshell, through this video art, Paik has successfully represented our time.