Step Forward & Sing
An illuminated art installation created for the 2018 SAM Lights. A small series of monolithic inflatables each with its own internal lighting. Each monolith prompts participants to shout, sing, clap, and make any other happy sound creating a joyous explosion of noise to celebrate the holiday season.
Sticker City
Sticker City asks its participants to work together to create an ever growing city using stickers that contain roads, buildings, farms, factories, and more.
Calling Home
Calling Home is an “empathy engine” installation that questions its audience about their personal experiences and contrasts with those of persons experiencing homelessness.
WeMeograph
A collaborative drawing installation that’s equal parts MadLibs and Etch-a-Sketch. The WeMeograph is a drawing machine for groups of 4, each player spins a personal dial which assembles a fill in the blank challenge for the artists. Dials represent animals, clothing, actions, and locations for example: “Draw a sheep wearing a cape while dancing on the moon".
Plushcadia
Our power comes from the community and to illustrate this, we created Plushcadia, an inflatable mural crafted—pixel by velcro pixel—by YOU. Part mural, part abstract campfire we centered this installation around the act of storytelling (visually and vocally) with the goal of fostering empathy and unity.
Snapbox
The Snapbox is a freestanding photobooth we occasionally use in conjunction with various installations. If you're interesting in renting the snapbox for your own event please contact us via email.
SUNCLOUD
Created for the 2017 Fremont Solstice Parade, SunCloud takes Seattle's most infamous resident and swaps rain for rays of light. This inflatable cloud trails streamers of gold and silver as it jiggles and wiggles its way down the street. SunCloud was made by recycling our 2016 Solstice Parade float and powered by tiny mascot fans. The piece will be reused as a non-mobile art piece in 2017 and was awarded a 2017 McKay Parade Grant.
GLOWWORM
A 200 foot long color-changing inflatable featuring two quotes from Leonard Cohen and Maya Angelou. Designed for and installed at Redmond Lights, an annual holiday celebration in Redmond, WA.
Cyclotron
An inflatable lounge made from reflective and iridescent mylar. Cyclotron is both a spot to relax during a party and also the center of attention complete with color changing LEDs and colorful seating. Installed at the International Living Future Institute UnConference After Party on an indoor "street" in South Lake Union.
Hover Blubber
An inflatable costume made for five people, the Hover Blubber was constructed for the 2016 Fremont Solstice Parade. Made from Nylon and powered by tiny mascot fans the Hover Blubber was an exercise in large mobile inflatables, something we haven't done up to this point. The piece will be reused as a non-mobile digitally interactive installation later in 2016.
DECATRON
A huggable exploratory space made from a series of battery powered nylon inflatables. Decatron is an ever-changing installation that included a participatory mural, huggable clouds, and a lounge. Decatron was installed at the 2016 Seattle Design Festival and SXSW Eco 2016 using a wooden dome structure.
THE Gas Trap
A collaboration with activist arts organization Coltura and artist Samaj, 'The Gas Trap' is meant to illustrate how an addiction to gasoline is slowly poisoning our habitat. The inflatable connects (visually) to a car using a large hose while the interior functions as a stage for an original performance piece by Alyssa Norling and Grace Orr.
AR.Sandbox
SimSandbox or AR Sandbox is an augmented reality sandbox that overlays a projected contour map and virtual water system onto a physical layer of sand.
Eavesdrop
Eavesdrop is an interactive sculptural experience that inserts its audience into the position both eavesdropper and the anonymously surveilled. We created an open zone filled with “bugs” made from funnels and tongue-in-cheek prompts (ex. make your favorite animal noise) and an inflated zone to listen and record that information. The inflatable space was made from scavenged fabric and dyed bright orange to make that space slightly unsettling, isolated and secretive.
REFRACTOR
Recognizing that lesser used public spaces can be highlighted using programming, the REFRACTOR was conceived as an installation that could quickly bring a variety of activation to the public spaces of Seattle. Because activities happen on a temporary basis and at a moments notice they require a structure that can be delivered by hand and installed quickly. The inflatable structure expands into a 315SF circular room with a 16 feet tall ceiling that is transported in a 3ft x 2ft cart.
CREATURE
A large scale installation for the 2014 Seattle Design Festival Block Party. Made from found or reclaimed materials and inspired by the Chinese Dragon Dance, the work of Theo Jansen and the large mechanical animals of La Machine. The Creature was an inflatable pop-up space in the form of a giant monster. Filled with random objects for play, the creature created a cathedral of light in some very unexpected places.
Layered City
Layered City is a community participation exercise, individuals are tasked with locating individual elements of a city on a series of maps that represent different elements of the planning process. Installed at the American Planning Association's National Conference in Seattle.
Party Bubbles
Our friends at Urban Artworks and Graypants throw an annual holiday bash to benefit Urban Artworks. We're been privileged to contribute a design in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, two massive inflatables constructed by the Design Nerds were installed on the roof of a building for an unforgettable night of fun with the pieces serving as the party venue. In 2015 the Design Nerds constructed multiple abstract inflatable towers lit by color changing LEDs to serve as a backdrop to the center stage.
Reflective Murmuration
A reflective mylar installation for the 2017 Henry Gala. With an event entitled the "Mercury Ball" we went through several iterations of ideas, attempting at first to make our own massive mylar balloons before discovering that "mylar" balloons aren't made from mylar at all and the material used to create balloons is extremely hard to come by. We eventually settled on a non-inflated design using wooden dowels, reflective mylar and fishing line. We mass produced around 100 equilateral triangles in sizes ranging from 1ft to 3ft.