September 11, 2024

A 35-foot-tall inflatable cloud child to sit in Navy Yard through September

The art installation was created by Los Angeles-based duo FriendsWithYou, who refer to it as a 'beacon of harmony.'

By Franki Rudnesky
PhillyVoice Staff

Langston Clement/Group X

The huge inflatable 'Seated Little Cloud' will be on display at the Navy Yard through September.

A new outdoor art installation, "Seated Little Cloud," was unveiled last week at the Navy Yard — and at a towering 35 feet tall, the cherub-like inflatable character lounging near the main entrance is anything but "little."

"Seated Little Cloud," which was created by Los Angeles-based artist duo FriendsWithYou, is the latest annual Navy Yard installation curated by the Philly art collective known as Group X. The giant piece of art, which is 26 feet wide, will be on display in the middle of Crescent Park — located just through the Navy Yard front gates on Broad Street — until the end of September. The inflatable is free to visit everyday from sunrise to sunset.

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The inflatable character has a smiling, blushing cloud face and is wearing overalls as it sits in the cross-legged position. The installation is meant to foster joy and connection while inviting viewers to embrace its relaxed vibes, according to FriendsWithYou artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III.

"We created 'Seated Little Cloud' as a beacon of harmony, using our iconic Little Cloud in a meditative pose, to increase the love vibration to the city of Philadelphia and beyond," they said in a release. "We hope the meditative nature is contagious and brings serenity to all. Through our work we strive to connect to ourselves and each other, spreading friendship, building community, and deepening our relationship with the natural world."

Langston Clement/Group X

'Seated Little Cloud' was created by Los Angeles artist duo FriendsWithYou.

Little Cloud is a signature character in the FriendsWithYou artistic universe and has appeared in displays around the world, from London to Japan to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. There is even a smiling Little Cloud hanging from the ceiling in Fishtown's Pizzeria Beddia.

This is the seventh annual art installation at the Navy Yard by Group X. The memorable first installation in 2018 was "Sea Monsters HERE," which featured a giant inflatable sea monster poking its 20 purple tentacles out of the walls and windows of Building 611. It gained fame as the largest inflatable tentacle sculpture ever made.