One of the great mysteries for a curios mind is the nature of life. Artists, scientists and ponderers alike all search for answers. Theo Jansen falls into all these categories, and he has an especially interesting technique for investigating this very seminal question, he creates living kinetic sculptures. Placing himself in the shoes of the gods he hopes to become wiser by encountering the problems of the creator.

Crafted from PVC and with intelligence moulded through mechanical connections the strandbeests come to life with the breath of the wind. As visually stunning as they are cleverly engineered the strandbeests use the force of the wind to push them forward. The many generations using the energy of the wind in wonderfully different ways. Some use the winds slow push forward, others use the circular motion of windmill blades, and some even use compressed air as the basis of motion.

The Strandbeest family tree traces the evolution of these unique forms of life, born of pure imagination new beasts are created each year. Winters cold embrace is the time of ideas, spring’s gentle breezes draws the new beasts to the beach where they spring to life. Summers heat sends them scuttling back to their homes and autumn sees them taken to the bone yard ready for the cycle of life to begin again the following year.

Presented for you viewing pleasure is the strangely satisfying evolution of the strandbeests. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the very unusual form of life that appears on Dutch beaches every year.

“By developing this evolution, I hope to become wiser in the understanding of existing nature by encountering myself the problems of the real Creator.”

Theo Jansen

Theo Jansel – Standbeests