Strandbeest

Theo Jansen is a designer and artist from the Netherlands. Recently, he gained widespread notoriety for an online video (below) of his kinetic sculptures that moved by themselves with the wind along a beach. The sculptures, or Strandbeests, as he calls them, can actually adjust to changing tides and air currents. The sculptures are mechanized, but without any form of powered motorization. The atmospheric conditions propel the sculptures. The Chicago Cultural Center in downtown Chicago recently featured the Strandbeest and visitors were able to get close to the fascinating skeletal sculptures created by Jansen. Made of simple materials--plastic tubing and zip ties, the 'creatures' initially come off as rudimentary, but are actually complexly configured. Strandbeest was a very interesting exhibition and I felt lucky to see the sculptures up close.