DELF, Netherlands — The iconic wind-powered “beach beasts” have gracefully ambled from the shores of the Dutch North Sea, making appearances in an upscale Miami art exhibition and even captivating audiences on an episode of “The Simpsons.” Now, these imaginative creations find a permanent home in a city renowned for Johannes Vermeer, the artist behind “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” and its famous blue pottery.
The skeletal remains of Theo Jansen’s “strandbeesten,” Dutch for beach animals, have claimed residence in a repurposed cable factory in Delft, a quaint city in the western Netherlands and Jansen’s long-time abode.
“There has been a sort of evolutionary history over the years. You could consider these animals as natural historical objects,” remarked the 77-year-old artist as the platform opened.
Known as the Strandbeesten Mortuary, the exhibit traces the lineage of Jansen’s kinetic sculptures from their inception in 1990, initially constructed from mere plastic pipes and tape. As the years progressed, additional materials like plastic bottles, wooden planks, cloth, and cardboard were integrated into their design.
These celebrated creatures, primarily fashioned from PVC pipes, highlight the life cycle and remnants of Jansen’s creations in their once-active states, now frozen in a stunning fossil exhibition.
Marloes Koster, overseeing the showcase for Delft’s Prinsenhof Museum, mentioned Jansen’s aspirational mission to craft a creature capable of eternal life. “He hasn’t quite achieved that feat yet, so these are the prototypes that didn’t endure,” she explained.
With the Prinsenhof Museum undergoing extensive renovations, Koster and her team have been orchestrating art and cultural events at temporary venues around the city during its closure.
Growing up near the North Sea, Jansen’s fascination with the potent coastal winds led him to harness their force, enabling his creatures to ‘walk’ along the beach’s edge. Each year brings a new creation, and as summer closes, Jansen lays the season’s strandbeest to rest.
“I conduct experiments all summer and by fall, I grow a bit wiser about how these creatures might thrive eventually,” Jansen shared.
Exhibition-goers, many longtime admirers of Jansen’s work, were eager to explore the strandbeesten’s progression over the decades.
“You observe an evolution in his methods. They began quite simply, then grew in complexity. They evolve,” said Cor Nonhof, a Delft resident attending the exhibition with his wife.
Even amidst the exhibition’s opening, Jansen’s heart yearned for the beach, his mind already engrossed in the next development for his strandbeesten. “I cannot see myself doing anything else,” he confessed with contentment.