A projection by L.A. guerilla artists VJayBombs on Jan. 24 channeled a nation's outrage over the killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents that day in Minneapolis. Courtesy of VJaybombs Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text All art is political, but sometimes it is overtly so. Take the recent viral piece by VJayBombs, a Los Angeles-based trio of guerrilla projection artists. On Jan. 24, mere hours after the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of federal immigration agents, VJayBombs responded with a searing new 100-foot-tall projection that expressed a nation's outrage and immediately caught fire online. The trio set up their laser projector along Alameda Street on the opposite side of the 101 freeway from the Metropolitan Detention Center (where immigration detainees are held by DHS) and beamed a short, looping video onto the side of the prison. Related Stories Music Lady Gaga Slams ICE During Tokyo Concert: Americans "Being Mercilessly Targeted" Music Bruce Springsteen Releases ICE Protest Song About "State Terror" in Minneapolis The piece itself depicts an ICE agent shooting various words dead, including "our empathy," "our community," "our children" and "our democracy." The roughly seven-second loop took a few hours to edit together during the day and was then projected onto the MDC building for more than an hour that night. The quick turnaround isn't unusual for the trio, who say some of their work is in development for longer, "but usually it's like something happens and we respond," says Ken of VJayBombs, who like his collaborators requested to use a pseudonym. Were they nervous displaying protest art across ICE's facility? "My heart was beating," says VJayBombs' Bev. "Something could happen, but I personally like that - the thrill." For Ken, poking the bear carried some frightening potential repercussions: "We're in a time right now where they're labeling people as domestic terrorists. That's scary. I don't want to be targeted." VJayBombs is a form of catharsis in the face of an onslaught of horrible news, says Cat. "We feel like we found the perfect outlet." Something that is temporary and doesn't vandalize but hits that sweet spot of "good trouble." *** Also in Rambling Reporter: The LinkedIn co-founder sent fellow Silicon Valley elites a vinyl record of LLM-generated Yuletide tunes. This story appeared in the Jan. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up THR, Esq 'The Rip' Director Joe Carnahan Accused of Sexual Battery In Lawsuit From Former Partner Kennedy Center Kennedy Center Official Resigns Less Than Two Weeks After Hiring Today Matt Lauer Accuser Details Alleged Rape and Complicated Relationship in New Book Ray J Ray J Says He Only Has Months to Live Following Hospitalization: "2027 Is Definitely a Wrap for Me" Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj Says Criticism of Her Support for Trump "Actually Motivates Me to Support Him More" sundance 2026 Steph Curry's Directorial Debut Just Won a Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival THR, Esq 'The Rip' Director Joe Carnahan Accused of Sexual Battery In Lawsuit From Former Partner Kennedy Center Kennedy Center Official Resigns Less Than Two Weeks After Hiring Today Matt Lauer Accuser Details Alleged Rape and Complicated Relationship in New Book Ray J Ray J Says He Only Has Months to Live Following Hospitalization: "2027 Is Definitely a Wrap for Me" Nicki Minaj Nicki Minaj Says Criticism of Her Support for Trump "Actually Motivates Me to Support Him More" sundance 2026 Steph Curry's Directorial Debut Just Won a Short Film Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival