Vusac-NY is a word-title that springs from the terms “Video” and “Muzak” (Airport music) from Brian Eno. The making of the tape involved Betsy Connors for the interludes (sketches acted out by clay figures), Paul Garrin for the special effects, and Bob Parent and Jud Yalkut for the New York film footage – Coney Island, Little Italy, St John's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue and back to Coney Island again. Images of the streets of New York, the various rituals of this contemporary city and archival images of immigrants arriving in the Lower East Side are obscured by test pattern effects, superimposition, colourisation and star or circle insertions. Excerpts from the artist's previous videotapes are inserted alongside these images: Lake Placid (dancer), Global Groove (dancer), Allan 'n' Allen's Complaint (Allen Ginsberg, singing), and passages from Joseph Beuys' performances in Paris (Centre George Pompidou, for Paik's television show, Good Morning Mr. Orwell) as well as from the René Block gallery where he locked himself in for several days with a coyote.

Here the artist opposes meaningless media images with documentaries about the city and the questions these raise, and with strong performances from artists such as Allen Ginsberg and Joseph Beuys.

Christine Van Assche

Translated by Anna Knight