rca records x art basel

♫

rca records x art basel ♫

Design & design team Management | production & event planning | d2c planning

rca records merch line @ art basel

Text reading "RCA Records, Los Angeles, New York, Established 1929" in various fonts and sizes.

the label’s first ever exhibition

In December 2023, RCA Records hosted its first official activation during Art Basel Miami Beach. Rather than presenting a traditional gallery exhibition, we created a hybrid art and music experience that blended visual installations, brand storytelling, and live performance. It included never before seen photos of current and legacy artists, and personal paintings by Doja Cat.

The activation positioned RCA at the intersection of contemporary art, fashion, and music culture, expanding its presence beyond traditional album campaigns into a broader creative and lifestyle space.

People standing in line outside a venue at night, waiting to enter. There are posters on the wall behind them with the word 'KAYTRANADA' and an image of a tennis racket over a person's face.

VIP line at entrance

The event included wall sized prints
and a fabric wall piece of exclusive photos

A person with curly orange hair and a feather boa stands in front of a photo exhibit, flexing their arms in a gallery with white walls and photographs displayed around them.
A white long-sleeve T-shirt with a small black logo of a dog and the text 'rca records' on the left chest area.
White long-sleeve shirt with a colorful globe graphic in green, yellow, and orange on the front, surrounded by the text 'RCA RECORDS Make Noise' repeated in a circular pattern.

Artist Foushee at the fabric wall

Make Noise Long Sleeve Tee

Display of three bottles of tequila in front of a gray wall with a large ARCADE sign and a menu board

The event was dubbed “ARCADE“ and featured games such as a claw and randomized vending machine with the first drop of merch items.

A woman with tattoos on her arm is playing a claw machine filled with colorful plastic balls at an arcade. There is a large colorful poster of a smiling woman with dark hair, wearing a pink fur-trimmed outfit, on the wall behind her.

The claw machine featured smaller items such as branded socks, keychain, lighter and rolling papers

A man with glasses, a beard, wearing a baseball cap, jewelry, and a white t-shirt stands in front of a claw machine with colorful balls inside. He is holding a clear plastic ball and showing it to another man in a beige beanie. There is a large poster of a woman in the background, and several people are present in the room.
Black socks with a white RCA Records logo and a dog illustration on each

Patron winning a pair of socks

The vending machine featured higher end items including our hoodie, t-shirts, and Sony Headphones and earbuds.

Multiple white locker units with glass doors, some containing packaged products and a few showing empty shelves, against a plain wall.
A man with glasses and a floral shirt holding a black jacket with music-themed patches, smiling in front of lockers at a record store or music event.
Black hoodie with 'RCA' logo on chest and 'rca records' on sleeve, with a hood and drawstrings, and a pocket in front.
Black hoodie with white graphics and logos, including RCA Records branding, vinyl record, and cassette tape illustrations.

High Volume Hoodie

White tote bag with black text that reads 'RCA RECORDS' and 'Established. 1929,' listing cities Los Angeles and New York.
White tote bag with a small black line drawing of a sitting dog on its front.

Doja Cat’s personal paintings were on display right when you walked in. The paintings might look familiar, titled “Green Horns” and “Half,” as they were the inspiration for her single, “Paint The Town Read” visuals.

Two paintings of animals are displayed on a white gallery wall. The left painting depicts a green dragon with horns and a friendly expression, set against a blue sky. The right painting shows a dark gray and black buffalo with a large white horn, with a red cord hanging from its nose.

The exhibition could not be a label event without some kind of performance. We had exclusive hour DJ sets from artists Barbara Doza and Channel Tres throughout the evening.

People at a music event, with one person using DJ equipment in front of graffiti-style art on the wall.
Two women wearing sunglasses and black outfits, posing and smiling in front of a large black-and-white photo of a group of men. The women are standing behind a table with snacks and drinks, and there is a Sony logo on the front of a counter.

Additional Credits:

Merch Design Direction & Management: Tonianne Tartaro
Merch Art Direction & Design: Lara Turner
Event Creative Direction: Lissette Cocca
Event Art Department: Lissette Cocca, Steven Carrillo, Tonianne Tartaro, Lara Turner, Leo Araujo
Event Photographer: Midjordan
Project Managers: Niki Roberton, Lara Turner, Tonianne Tartaro, Ashley Monae, Leo Araujo
Motion Design: Chris Hurtt
Merch Partner: Ceremony of Roses