Our favourite exhibition last year was Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests at the Peabody in Salem. It was so good we went twice. We brought  Barbara (above, walking a Beest) and Ed, and two other friends with us for the second visit.

Fun, playful, intricate, fascinating, poignant – I could fling adjectives at it. We were let play with two little Beests, take them for short walks. A larger Beest was set in motion for us and the crowd gasped as if a baby elephant had trotted into the room. The Beests in motion really are like living creatures. They are quirky and beautiful and complex, and the thinking behind them is too. Click and scroll for larger images.

Animaris Suspendisse ‘can change direction to avoid the incoming tide’

Suspendissee other end

Animaris Adulari

Ed walks a beest, Animaris Ordis, adapted for indoors

Animaris Apodiacula

This link brings you to Theo Jansen’s website and a beautiful video of various evolutions of his creatures, in motion.