On September 22, a striking digital image of FBI Director Kash Patel, captured with wide eyes darting back and forth, illuminated a building at the intersection of 2nd Street and Beaudry Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. This latest projection is part of a series of satirical artworks that have become fixtures across the city, portraying various political figures with a comedic twist—ranging from Donald Trump dramatically devouring the Epstein files to a reimagined Fox News branded as “Faux News,” and even an image of Trump silencing late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The creative force behind these audacious projections is a secretive street art collective known as Vjaybombs. This group has been turning heads with what they describe as “projection bombs” and “guerrilla projections,” and they boast a growing Instagram audience nearing 100,000 followers. In an email correspondence, a representative of Vjaybombs shared that they are everyday filmmakers by profession and prefer to remain anonymous to keep the focus on their artwork itself rather than their identities.
“Our projections reflect the sentiments of our community, particularly the working-class individuals who navigate the streets daily,” stated a member of Vjaybombs. “The term ‘guerrilla projection’ suits us well as it allows for large-scale visibility without causing damage to property.”
Vjaybombs aims to project anti-fascist messages that critically address political corruption and issues related to corporate greed. Their projections have included satirical messages highlighting Fox News anchors with chyrons that read “Fox News Alert: Be Afraid!!,” alongside dramatic portrayals such as Jesus being apprehended by an ICE officer right outside the ACLU’s downtown office. Notably, they have also taken aim at right-wing figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, alongside international personalities such as Vladimir Putin.
“Our goal is to spark conversation and remind our community that they are not alone in their feelings about these issues,” Vjaybombs explained. “We utilize humor as a tool to convey our ideas and facilitate protest.”
The collective’s recent projections have been timely; for instance, after news broke of Kimmel’s show being put on hold due to his comments criticizing the MAGA response to a tragic shooting incident, Vjaybombs responded by projecting a graphic of Trump silencing Kimmel onto the El Capitan Theatre, where the show is filmed.
“We often depict figures who surrender to Trump and the MAGA agenda,” added a spokesperson for Vjaybombs. “We strive to keep our work relevant to ongoing news developments, choosing topics that highlight pressing issues we believe merit awareness.” The collective engages in discussions about headlining stories that inspire their projections, enabling proactive community discourse.
Vjaybombs began their political projection journey in July, originally aiming to pressure President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race—a concern stemming from worries over his mental acuity. Since then, they have honed their technical skills from projecting simple text to creating intricate images that interact seamlessly with the surrounding architecture.
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, frightened, and possibly apathetic,” reflected the collective. “Yet, a splash of humor can shift perspectives and even heal the way we process news.”
This rewrite maintains the essential HTML structure and details presented in the original content while ensuring unique language and flow suitable for a WordPress post.
