From playa to park
Remember When (L-O-V-E blocks) was originally built for Burning Man by lead artist Mark Deem and the Misfit Toys collective. After the playa, the installation found a permanent home in Golden Gate Park through a civic art initiative with SF Rec & Park and Illuminate the Arts.
The massive wooden letters spell out L-O-V-E across the grass. Each block stands several feet tall, designed to be climbed on, sat in, and photographed from every angle. It's become one of the park's most beL-O-V-Ed photo spots where strangers become friends, couples get engaged, and dogs pose for the camera.
The installation invites spontaneous interaction. Kids scramble up the sides. Couples pose for photos. Strangers sit together on the "O" and strike up conversations. It's public art that doesn't ask permission to be touched—it demands it.
Built in collaboration with SF Rec & Park and Illuminate the Arts, the blocks have become a fixture in Golden Gate Park, returning year after year as a reminder that some gestures are worth making big.