Glenn Kaino is the cocurator of “Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice,” an exhibition at the Hammer Museum that is part of “PST ART: Art & Science Collide” in Los Angeles. Below, he discusses conservation and artistic production, along with related interests.
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“Spitting Off the Edge of the World” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Image Credit: Photo Gary Miller via Getty Images The [2022] song “Spitting Off the Edge of the World” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs has been among my favorites for the last couple years. My musical collaborator Dave Sitek produced it, and I’ve had the privilege to watch that song go from an idea to a Grammy nominee. When I first heard it, I thought it captured a paradoxical urgency of the moment with a feeling of both nihilistic surrender and hopefulness. The song is a very complicated emotional ride. Not to mention, they’re a fantastic band.
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“Shadows” by Teller
Image Credit: Photo Joan Marcus I’ve been revisiting “Shadows,” a trick by the magician Teller from the duo Penn & Teller, who have had a long-running residency in Las Vegas. The trick involves shining a light on a vase of roses and casting a large shadow behind it. Teller then uses a knife to cut the projected shadow of the rose petals, which then fall off the actual flower. He does this a few times before “accidentally” pricking his finger and smearing blood next to the shadow. The metaphor of manipulating the result to create the effect is so powerful. When we think about these moments of crisis and the legacy of our time, it’s inspirational to consider that if causality is a creation of our minds from the way that we linearly process time, maybe things don’t need to be reversed.
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Michael Joo and Danil Krivoruchko’s Organic Growth: Crystal Reef
Image Credit: Growth generation of OG Crystal 12/©Michael Joo, Danil Krivoruchko, and Snark.Art I was a competitive body boarder and worked at a fish store as a teenager, which impacted my thinking about ocean husbandry and how to transform the trade. Michael Joo and Danil Krivoruchko’s Organic Growth: Crystal Reef project began with an NFT and is now an ecosystem of ocean conservationists working together to ruminate on ideas of coral reef husbandry. The project pushes forward collaboration of new technologies in support of planetary needs. Our oceans are the least-invested natural resource. Projects like this rally new communities around important causes such as this one.
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Image Credit: Courtesy Penguin Random House, New York As a gamer and the author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow [2022], Gabrielle Zevin offers the first book that really captures the true artistic spirit of video games, game production, and gaming culture in an accessible way. Most significant is the respect paid to game design as an art form. Through the story of the main character, an artist who makes games, Zevin’s novel demonstrates the intentionality behind the creation of digital worlds and narratives brought to life in game design.
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Ron Finley
Image Credit: Photo Todd Williamson via Getty Images Anything with fashion designer and community activist Ron Finley—his TED talk, MasterClass, YouTube videos, and Instagram feed—is of interest to me. I admire his ideas about the world, the stewardship of our planet, and our relationships. He speaks with such a pragmatic clarity that is always inspiring no matter what form it takes or what venue it’s in. His work, as it relates to climate change and social justice, is an anchor in our exhibition “Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice.”
