Sometimes the best projects begin with a simple Instagram post.
When the Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced open submissions for its inaugural parade celebrating the opening of the David Geffen Galleries, we thought, Why not? We had no grand plan, but we love art (and tech). So, we grabbed a sketchbook, started doodling, and imagined what it would look like if the internet became a living, walking creature.
That rough concept eventually became Wild Alone Wild: Unleashing the Internet Experience. What's the concept, you may ask?
Wild Alone Wild playfully explores the experience of navigating the internet, its surprises, discoveries, and moments of caution. Emerging from a vintage computer monitor, the piece references the early era of digital culture while re-imagining it through a whimsical lens. A lively air dancer figure animates from the monitor, its tethered paper strands evoking both data flow and the chaotic abundance of online content. Blending humor with subtle commentary, this moving installation invites viewers to reflect on how we move through the digital world.
To our surprise, our proposal was selected! Whoo-hoo!
Turning a sketch into a parade-ready installation took far more than inspiration. It required brain fog to problem-solve, test and iterate. Our entire team pitched in to help fabricate the structure, prepare the costume, and bring every detail to life. On parade day, it took a village, as they say, not only to build it, but also to guide and walk alongside it through the streets in addition to having two other events.
Since it was our first time participating in a parade, we were so focused on building the piece that we overlooked something surprisingly important: parade etiquette. Looking back, we wish we had spent time observing how performers interact with the crowd. Instead of concentrating solely on the artwork itself, we could have designed it to be more engaging and invite moments of connection with the audience. A parade isn't just about being seen; it's about creating an experience with the people watching.
And then there was the biggest lesson of all.
Wind.
We spent days thinking about appearance, construction, and movement, but not nearly enough time thinking about how the wind would interact with the piece. We looked ahead and were relieved to see that the weather was going to be a cool 75 degrees.
This is LA, there's hardly any wind, right? Except when you're building something tall, lightweight, and full of large surfaces, even a gentle breeze can completely change how it moves and how difficult it is to control. During the parade, every gust became a reminder that nature is part of the performance, whether you plan for it or not.
Hopefully we will be able to do more parades and if we do, wind will be one of the very first design considerations—from the materials and weight distribution to how the structure moves through open spaces.
Despite all the challenges, one moment has stayed with me more than any other.
Near the end of the parade, after spending much of the route concentrating on keeping the piece steady against the wind, I suddenly heard a lady in the crowd call out, "Story Spark!"
The voice caught me by surprise. I looked over and saw someone recognizing our work from a distance. In that instant, all the stress, and the worry about the wind faded away. I felt incredibly humbled.
That simple shout-out reminded me why we create in the first place. Beyond the sketches and the unexpected lessons, our work had connected with someone.
Sometimes, that's the greatest reward of all!
If you'd like to see Wild Alone Wild come to life, check out our YouTube videos to see it in action!
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In case you want to see all the pieces. Here's a list of all of LACMA's Art Parade participants.
