As if responsible for upholding this industry city's penchant for godless celebration, two of LA's most influential art institutions—LACMA and Jeffrey Deitch—came together in June to produce a parade on Wilshire Boulevard, effectively a reboot of Deitch's "Art Parade" held in New York from 2005 to 2008. The happening was the season's marquee event, featuring more than 1,600 performers spread across 140-some-odd presentations, all marching down the half-mile stretch of Wilshire directly in front of LACMA. And, to be clear, to a certain extent, it delivered. The sidewalks were packed with an estimated 60,000 attendees, and there were a handful of memorable performances, including Marcel Alcalá's Conquest Narrative (2026) in which the artist, wearing Payasa-inspired makeup, carried the burden of an oversized, American flag-painted cross, and Jordan Rountree's DEVIL JACK IN A BOX WITH CROCODILE (2026)—in which Rountree, dressed as the devil with classic red horns, periodically popped out of a rolling black box emblazoned with a woodcut crocodile.
