Photo creditStrandbeests, the fascinating creatures built by artist Theo Jansen are coming to the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in September. These sculptures move of their own accord and, as PEM puts it, “blur the lines between art and science, sculpture and performance.” I won’t try to write an interpretation of the art behind the Strandbeests, as I know I won’t be able to do it justice. I will just highly recommend that you watch Theo Jansen’s TED Talk, or read any of the several reviews of his work (like this one, this one, or this one – you get the idea). You can also just google them and spiral down a Strandbeest hole – I’ll warn you that when I first heard of Strandbeests, I spent a good hour just watching YouTube videos (like the one below) of the different creatures walking on an array of surfaces.
The exhibition will be open from September 19 through January 3. The Peabody Essex Museum is offering several opportunities to see the Strandbeests up close, and you’ll be able to see these creatures out and about throughout August and September at the following places (for free!):
Crane Beach, Ipswich
Saturday, August 22, 10 am – 12 pm
Please note that there is a fee to access and park at Crane Beach. Visit thetrustees.org for more information.
Boston City Hall Plaza, Boston
Friday, August 28, 11 am – 1 pm
Dewey Square, Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston
Friday, August 28, 4:30 pm – 7 pm
MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St., Cambridge
Thursday, September 10 | 3 pm – 7 pm
Between 3 and 5 PM, Theo Jansen will join a panel with the PEM Curator of the Present Tense and MIT Media Lab associate professor of Media Arts and Sciences. From then, the Strandbeests will walk outside of the MIT Media Lab between 5:30 and 7 PM.
All of these events are free and open to the public, and no tickets are required.
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