Glenn Kaino, the internationally celebrated conceptual artist and filmmaker whose work bridges art, activism, and global media, has joined the director roster at RadicalMedia for global representation in branded content. RadicalMedia becomes the first company to rep Kaino in the branded space.
Kaino’s career defies categorization, establishing himself as one of the most influential conceptual artists of his generation. His art practice is represented by Pace Gallery, and he has had exhibitions at institutions around the world, many of which have been connected to substantial media productions. He has led major companies as chief creative officer of Napster 2.0 and EVP/head of digital of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN Network.. His art practice spans painting, sculpture, installation, performance, video games, public art, theater, and film–always guided by a belief in culture’s power to effect real change.
“My work manifests through storytelling across all mediums,” said Kaino. “I’ve created projects with museums, galleries, people, and brands, and each is part of the same constellation of my concerns. Joining Radical is an opportunity to expand that continuum and explore how we can collaborate with our partners to make meaning from the important experiences we create for audiences.”
Kaino is best known for projects that merge cultural commentary with technical virtuosity to create moments of major public engagement. He co-directed With Drawn Arms (Tribeca), the feature documentary on sprinter Tommie Smith’s 1968 Olympics Black Power salute, accompanied by his powerful sculptural works now on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and consumer product designs for General Mills/Wheaties and Beats by Dre that have earned billions of media impressions. He was also a collaborative creator and producer of Derek DelGaudio’s In & Of Itself (Hulu), a groundbreaking off-Broadway performance film, after performing with DelGaudio for over a decade.
His other projects range from large-scale installations such as A Forest for the Trees (The Atlantic) and the highly visited In the Light of a Shadow exhibition at MASS MoCA, to the Disney-acquired short Hoops, Hopes, & Dreams, and VR experiences like Aki’s Market, commissioned by the Japanese American National Museum. Kaino was selected by the U.S. Department of State to represent the country in the 13th Cairo Biennale and was included in the 2004 Whitney Biennial, amongst other major international exhibitions. His new public monuments at the LAX Metro Transit Center Station and the Intuit Dome are the first of a series of major commissions that include the new Burbank Airport and 6th Street Viaduct.
For RadicalMedia president Frank Scherma, Kaino represents the ideal convergence of art, meaning, and cross-platform storytelling. “At Radical, we’ve never seen a boundary between making art and making work for brands–whether it is a branded film, a live event, or a commercial–it’s all storytelling at the highest level. Glenn has lived that philosophy his entire career, from monumental public art to global media platforms. His vision and versatility are a perfect match for what we do.”
This partnership extends an ongoing collaboration: RadicalMedia is currently developing and producing two of Kaino’s upcoming projects, a feature film and immersive performance that will be announced soon.
