At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, American runner Tommie Smith ran 200 meters in an unbelievable 19.83 seconds. Despite an injured groin, Smith not only clinched the gold but established a new world record—and, for the first time, the stubborn 20-second mark was broken.
What came next catalyzed the victory into one of social and political importance: Smith and the third place winner, John Carlos, raised their fists in protest of Black suffering, both at home and globally. Described by Smith, the Black power salute was “a cry for freedom and for human rights.”
Glenn Kaino’s Bridge is a sculptural reiteration of this symbolic gesture. It debuted last Friday in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Foundation Center for the first time since the museum acquired the sculpture in 2022. Using fiberglass and steel, Kaino constructed the 100-foot-long, snake-like form using 200 casts of Smith’s raised arm and fist, clad in a brilliant gold paint and tethered to the ceiling via a transparent wire.
Designed in 2013, Bridge originated organically. Kaino has described himself as “a student of revolution…drawn to stories of sacrifice.” For years the American artist kept a photo of Smith’s protest taped on the corner of his computer. A friend, who knew Smith personally, walked into Kaino’s studio, noticed the photo, and offered to introduce Kaino to the athlete.
Within a few days, Kaino had made a silicone mold of Smith’s arm. Inspired by action figurines from toy stores, the artist worked through several variations of bridges, each using a stack of arms to produce the skeletal effect embodied by Bridge. For the aerial sculpture, Kaino evoked the image of a bridge to symbolize a path “leading forward but connected to the past.”
“[Bridge is] a spectacular reconciliation of a historic record, an individual memory, and a public symbol all renegotiated in an infrastructure of time to create stories of the now,” a statement on Glenn Kaino’s website reads.
Prior to its arrival at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bridge exhibited at the Studio Museum in Harlem and Pace Gallery.
In addition to Bridge, Smith and Kaino have journeyed on a years-long collaboration, producing art exhibitions and a documentary in response to their work. Smith has expressed gratitude for the sculpture’s role in continuing his legacy: “Part of my body is in Bridge, and I will forever be part of the movement that my salute and that the work inspires.”
