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pitch deck [03.07.2025]

The images and culture that move contemporary art.

kinoki.co

Moving image art – the most exciting and wide-ranging practice in all of contemporary art – lacks a dedicated full-service platform.

Kinoki was established to fill this void while building community and culture.

  • Film, video, and digital art are increasingly prominent in museums, galleries, and biennials.
  • Contemporary art platforms and publications lack a dedicated focus on moving image art.
  • Artists, curators, and collectors need a trusted source for insights on moving image art and the culture surrounding it.
  • By championing the appreciation and collection of moving image art and digital art, Kinoki is poised to capitalize on a next-generation market opportunity that is primed for exponential growth.

Kinoki is a contemporary art and culture platform dedicated to moving image art.

Featuring news, reviews, interviews, resources and more.

  • News and reviews of moving image art exhibitions and events
  • In-depth interviews with artists and curators
  • Biweekly members-only newsletter with exclusive content
  • Notices, press releases and announcements relevant to moving image art
  • Comprehensive profiles on “the moving image artists that move culture”
  • Online space for exhibitions of moving image art and digital art
  • web3 layer for decentralized activity and sales of digital collectibles

Artists

A guide to the moving image artists that move culture.

Ana Vaz
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture → Vaz unsettles the hierarchical gaze of ethnographic filmmaking.
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Hito Steyerl
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture → Hito Steyerl is a moving image artist, writer and professor.
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Arthur Jafa
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture. Arthur Jafa is a visual artist, filmmaker and cinematographer.
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Maryam Tafakory
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture → Tafakory combines cinema with performance, practicing a “rage against the archive.”
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Isaac Julien
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture.
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Karimah Ashadu
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture.
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Saodat Ismailova
A guide to the moving image artists that move culture.
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Interviews

Illuminating conversations with the visionaries shaping moving image art.

The Writer That Kills Bad People, with Erika Balsom
Erika Balsom is a writer, curator and professor at King’s College London. We interviewed her on publishing pocket-sized books, secret rules for selecting films, and masochism.
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Legacy Russell on code switching and Black computing
The award-winning writer and curator speaks about her groundbreaking exhibition on Black artists and digital practice. Code Switch is on view at the Schomburg Center in Harlem.
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Kevin B. Lee on desktop pasts and cinema futures
An interview with the artist and professor on his pioneering work in desktop documentary and his new project Cinema Futures at Locarno Film Festival.
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Speaking with Lisa Long and Line Ajan about Unbound: Performance as Rupture at Julia Stoschek Foundation
On view at JSF Berlin. This conversation with the exhibition curators explores the interrelation between performance art and video art, along with their methods for organizing the show.
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Competitive analysis

e-flux

strength – Theoretical Depth: Unmatched in intellectual rigor.
weakness – Limited Accessibility: Dense language, niche appeal.

Frieze

strength – Market Intelligence: Insights into art market trends and collector interests.
weakness – Perceived Elitism: Caters to a high-end art market segment, potentially alienating wider audiences.

Hyperallergic

strength – Critical & Engaged: Strong voice on social and political issues in art.
weakness – Focus: The artists and the art often get lost in the overriding concern with political engagement.

Artforum

strength – Industry Authority: Long-established, respected within the art world.
weakness – Limited Innovation (Digital): Slow adoption of new digital formats and technology.

→ Kinoki is a next-generation platform dedicated to moving image art, with an aim to capture the culture and fill a gap in the market.
  • The contemporary art online publication landscape is dominated by established players. Opportunities exist for a new platform to differentiate itself by superserving a niche, focusing on accessibility, interactive engagement, and innovative business models.
  • Kinoki leverages digital technologies and culture to create a more dynamic and engaging experience for readers, partners, and advertisers. By emphasizing innovation and cultivating the niche of moving image art, Kinoki is attracting a dedicated audience and establishing a scalable and influential presence within the contemporary art world.

Market data points

Online media boom

  • $729B industry by 2025 (Statista, 2024) 
  • $1.2T industry by 2027, with video driving growth (PwC, 2023)

Global online news platform market

  • In 2024, the global online news platform market was projected to reach approximately $61.33B, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.20% from 2024 to 2031. [cognitivemarketresearch.com]

Digital newspapers and magazines

  • Revenue in the digital newspapers and magazines segment worldwide is expected to reach $41.28B in 2025, indicating a robust market for digital news content. [statista.com]

Digital news consumption

  • A large majority of U.S. adults (86%) access news via smartphones, computers, or tablets, with 57% doing so frequently. [pewresearch.org]

Advertising revenue

→ The online news media market is growing rapidly. Kinoki is positioned to be a fast mover and early adopter that can capture a significant share of the art and culture segment in this market.

Analytics snapshot

2024 site analytics

  • 2.2K users
  • 11K pageviews
  • 5 pageviews per active user
  • 2.3K direct sessions
  • 1.5K organic search
  • largest user base is in the US and UK (40%)

2025 site analytics (Q1+Q2)

  • 2.5K users
  • 7K pageviews
  • 906 direct sessions
  • 661 organic search
  • largest user base is in the US and UK (52%)

2024 Google Search analytics

  • 38.8K impressions
  • 871 clicks

2025 Google Search analytics (Q1+Q2)

  • 39.4K impressions
  • 594 clicks

Socials

  • 20.3K views on IG in Q3 + Q4 2024
  • 24K views on IG in Q1 + Q2 2025
  • 13K accounts reached on IG in Q3 + Q4 2024
  • 13K accounts reached on IG in Q1 + Q2 2025

Newsletter

  • average open rate for bi-weekly newsletters is 61% (2024)
  • average click through rate for bi-weekly newsletters is 10% (2024)
  • newsletters in Q1 + Q2 2025 averaging 74% open rate and 14% click through rate
→ According to Mailchimp email marketing benchmarks, the general target for open rate is 34%. Their optimal CTR is 2.66%.
👀 Our biweekly newsletter Kinoki Review is surpassing these benchmarks by a wide margin!

We are experiencing impressive growth and rapidly building a dedicated community – all organic, no ad buys. Our user numbers are solid, and our email newsletter open rates and click rates are superb, demonstrating a high level of engagement. This positive momentum signifies the increasing influence we are gaining in the contemporary art world. We are confident that through continued development and expansion, these numbers will continue to flourish, solidifying our position as a leading platform in the space.

Business model

Multiple revenue streams

  • Subscriptions: members-only content, exclusive events, and priority access to collectibles and merchandise
  • Advertisements: targeted ads from art organizations, galleries, and brands
  • Sponsorships: partnerships with art institutions, festivals, and events
  • Sales of digital collectibles: unique digital art pieces and experiences
→ Kinoki's diversified revenue streams ensure a sustainable and scalable business model.

Traction and roadmap

Key milestones

Launch date and initial content offerings

  • Launched news reports in June 2023. We consider 2023-24 our beta phase. We mark 2025 as our year 1. 

Key partnerships and collaborations

User acquisition and growth targets

  • In 2024 our average monthly pageviews were 930, while average monthly users were 199.
  • 2025 Target: ~1860 Monthly Pageviews & ~348 Monthly Users (based on conservative projections)

Future development plans

  • We launched a new artist interview series in 2025 titled ‘Position Spaces’
  • We launched our web3 portal in 2025 to inscribe our premium content on the blockchain and to explore sales of digital collectibles.
  • We are developing new interactive content, including exploring opportunities with artificial intelligence. We are training our own small language model that users can interact with, to engage with our content and also to explore the technological frontiers of moving image art.
  • We established a bespoke creative agency called Standard Kinok that will offer strategy and solutions for the inclusion of moving image art and digital art in exhibitions and institutional and private collections. The agency will also offer advisory services and solutions for web3, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies for public institutions and private ventures.      
→ Kinoki is on track to become the leading platform for moving image art, with a clear roadmap for growth and development.

Fueling Kinoki's growth

Expanding our community & reach (2025-26)

Our 2024 baseline: Solid foundation with 930 monthly pageviews & 199 monthly users, demonstrating initial traction and interest in the platform.

2025-2026 Growth strategy: A three-pronged approach

1. Content & community deepening (organic growth - foundation):

  • Curated & engaging content expansion: Increase artist features, interviews, critical reviews, and thematic articles by 50% in 2025, 100% in 2026.
  • Foster community interaction: Implement interactive features like artist Q&As, forum discussions, and user-generated content sections by Q4 2025.
  • SEO & organic reach optimization: Target art-related keywords, improve website structure, and build backlinks to enhance search engine visibility.
  • Target metric focus: Increased engagement: Aim for a 25% increase in average session duration and a 15% increase in user interactions (likes, comments, shares) by end of 2025.

2. Strategic partnerships & collaborations (amplified reach - expansion):

  • Gallery & institution partnerships: Collaborate with 20+ galleries and art institutions by end of 2026 for cross-promotion, content sharing, and joint events (online and offline).
  • Artist network expansion: Actively onboard and feature 100+ new artists annually, leveraging their networks for platform promotion.
  • Media & influencer outreach: Engage with art bloggers, journalists, and social media influencers for platform reviews and content amplification.
  • Target metric focus: User acquisition & brand awareness: Aim for a 40% increase in new users acquired through partnerships and referrals by end of 2025, and a further 30% increase in 2026.

3. Targeted digital marketing & promotion (accelerated growth - scalability):

  • Social media marketing: Develop a consistent content calendar across relevant platforms (Instagram, Bluesky, Linkedin and others) with targeted ad campaigns to reach art enthusiasts.
  • Paid search & display advertising: Utilize Google Ads and art-focused advertising networks to drive targeted traffic to the platform.
  • Email marketing & newsletter expansion: Grow the email list and implement targeted email campaigns to nurture leads and announce new content/features.
  • Target metric focus: Pageviews & user growth: Aim for a 100% increase in monthly pageviews and a 75% increase in monthly users by end of 2025, and a further 50% and 40% increase respectively by end of 2026.

Projected growth targets:

  • 2025 target: ~1860 monthly pageviews & ~348 monthly users (based on conservative projections)
  • 2026 target: ~2790 monthly pageviews & ~487 monthly users (achieving substantial platform growth and engagement)
→ We are guided by the principle of quality, not quantity.

Partner with Kinoki, the leading next-gen platform for discovering and engaging with moving image art.

*Growth targets are projections based on planned strategies and market conditions. Detailed strategy breakdown available upon request.

Founders and leadership

Greg de Cuir Jr, Co-Founder / CEO & Chief Editor

Curator, writer, lecturer and translator with over 20 years of experience in top-tier arts institutions and universities worldwide. He has organised programs for Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Hauser & Wirth in New York, Frieze in London, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, Anthology Film Archives in New York, Metrograph in New York, e-flux in New York, 7th Biennale de Lubumbashi, EYE Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, Locarno Film Festival and others. His writing has been published in CURA., MUBI Notebook, Cineaste, Millennium Film Journal and numerous anthologies and catalogs. He has lectured at Universität Basel, Birkbeck, University of London, Universität Zürich, Goldsmiths, University of London, Universität Mainz, University of Chicago, Hochschule der Künste Bern, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Stanford University, Bard College, École cantonale d'art de Lausanne and others. De Cuir is the founder and managing partner of the creative consultancy EXPOBLVD LLC. De Cuir is also co-founder + artistic director of Kinopravda Institute, a nonprofit arts institution engaged in research, publishing, curation and distribution in the cinematic arts.

Nikola Jelovac, Co-Founder / President & Publisher

Film and stage director, screenwriter, producer and photographer. His photographs have been published internationally (Playboy). For his theatrical debut he directed Rachel's Box, based on his own play, at the Yugoslav Dramatic Theater in Belgrade. He recently completed his debut feature-length film InHuman Voice (“Voce DisUmana”) as writer-director-producer. Jelovac is co-founder and executive director of Kinopravda Institute, where among other projects he is co-editing and publishing The Complete Works of Vlada Petric (former Chair of Cinema at Harvard University, co-founder of Harvard Film Archive).

Editorial and content team

Linda Kopitz, Contributing Editor

Creative director and writer working in Germany, The Netherlands and the United States. She supports projects in the arts and cultural sector with strategy, design and content. Social media lead in and for different creative agencies. She has taught at University of Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Westfälische Hochschule.

Neil Young, Arts Writer

Critic and curator based in Vienna. His reviews and festival reports appear regularly in Frieze, The Hollywood Reporter, Sight & Sound, MUBI Notebook and other international outlets. Formerly director of the Bradford International Film Festival (2011-15). Selector for Vienna Shorts and consultant for the Viennale.

David Djordjevic, Contributor

Writer and researcher. Focusing on moving image art and web3, with special attention on trends that shape and influence the contemporary art scenes in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

→ Our knowledgeable and experienced team is dedicated to creating a world-class platform for moving image art.

Partner with Kinoki and benefit from the most influential and important next-gen contemporary art platform and publication.

“And so from where I stand, there is no contemporary art without media art, without digital art. … if contemporary art is the art of its time, the art being made right now would obviously include artists who are negotiating with, reflecting upon, repressing the emergence of digital technologies, and their increasing ubiquity in our lives.” – Tina Rivers Ryan, Editor in Chief, Artforum (quoted in Vogue)

Contact us → office@kinoki.co