PEM presents the first major American exhibition of Theo Jansen's famed kinetic sculptures.

Dynamic and interdisciplinary, Jansen's Strandbeests ("beach animals") blur the lines between art and science, sculpture and performance. The exhibition celebrates the thrill of the Strandbeests' unique locomotion as well as the processes that have driven their evolutionary development on the Dutch seacoast. The kinetic sculptures are accompanied by artist sketches, facilitated demonstrations of the creatures' complex ambulatory systems, a hall of "fossils" as well as photography by Lena Herzog.

About the Artists

In the spirit of Leonardo da Vinci, Theo Jansen (born 1948, the Netherlands) has applied his background in art and engineering toward the creation of extraordinary self-propelled creatures called Strandbeests (beach animals). Made from simple materials such as PVC tubing and plastic bottles, these self-contained systems utilize available (and stored) wind power for their unique locomotion. For the past 20 years Jansen has been perfecting his Strandbeest designs on the Dutch seaside while gaining international fame. A star of the TED Conference stage, Jansen has exhibited his work extensively in Asia and Europe and has been profiled by The New Yorker, CBS Sunday Morning, Huffington Post, The New York Times and NPR.

Lena Herzog (born 1970, Russia) created all the photographs in this exhibition. Starting in 2007, she traveled to the beach at Scheveningen, a suburb of The Hague, to document Theo Jansen's relationship with the Strandbeests and their evolution. She captures the wonder that the beests inspire in Theo and in us. At her studio in Los Angeles, she also created photograms — photos made without a camera — by placing Strandbeest parts on photographic paper and exposing them to light. Her images are presented here as gelatin silver prints and inkjet photomurals.

You can check out our Strandbeest playlist on our YouTube channel.

Audemars Piguet is the national sponsor for Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen.

Mondriaan Fund provided generous support for the exhibition.

The AMG Foundation and Eaton Vance Management sponsored the exhibition.

The Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York and Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation also provided support.

Strandbeest is made possible in part by supporters of PEM's Present Tense Initiative: Terry and Dick Albright, Dick and Deborah Carlson, Mr. Alfred D. Chandler III and The Reverend Susan Esco Chandler, and Fay Chandler. The East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum also provided support. Additional support for educational programs provided by Applied Materials Foundation.

In-Kind Media Partner

Watch this CBS News segment which captures all the spirit and wonder of Theo's kinetic sculptures and his exhibition here at PEM.