This Artist Gives Life To Sculptures Using Windpower

One artist has filled the beaches in Holland for 20 years with fantastic, never-before-seen animals that simply “go with the wind” #todaymagic

Theo Jansen is one of the most renowned kinetic artists. His discourse at TED has inspired thousands, especially since he is one of the few creative men out there capable of destroying and recreating his art yearly. Jansen is known for his Strandbeests (“beach animals”), huge sculptures usually made from PVC pipe and zip ties that are brought to life by the power of the wind each summer, on the beach.

That’s where Jansen releases them yearly, returning only to study their movements and learn from their behaviour. In the fall, they go “extinct” and leave the artist with one mission: to take them to the next level the following year.

Jansen began this project with the intent of making “a herd to help shore up the beaches of Holland against rising sea levels,” but in time, he realized they served as a great metaphor for the beginning of life and the external factors that bring about change. Watch as the artist explains his motivation further in the video above.

If you liked what you saw, here’s one more piece of information: his beach animals will be displayed at San Francisco’s Exploratorium from today until Labor Day.