Since 1990, Dutch artist Theo Jansen has been creating kinetic sculptures called Strandbeests out of basic items, many of which can be found at a local hardware store. With skeletons consisting mainly of PVC pipes, nylon fasteners, and sails made from various materials, Jansen's creations come to life using wind power, gobbling up available energy in order to propel themselves across a seaside landscape.

In anticipation of his summertime exhibit at The Exploratorium, Jansen presented a special sneak preview of his creatures in action at Chrissy Field last week.

"They like the beach because they like flat, hard surfaces, and of course there's always wind on the beach. The beach is their natural environment," Jansen told us. 

Each Strandbeest (Dutch for "beach animal") has its own personality and unique functionality, which Jansen claims to be the result of an "evolution" of traits that have worked or failed in past iterations. A former physicist, he strives to build kinetic, lifelike beests with traits that help them adapt to an ever-changing environment, such as the ability to sense a particularly large gust of wind and place an anchor in the ground to keep them from getting swept away. 

Marina McDougall, director of The Exploratorium's Center for Art and Inquiry, couldn't be happier with the standbeests' arrival, and said the exhibition is a great fit for many reasons.

"At The Exploratorium, we think a lot about how art is process. A lot of people think of art as a noun, and we think of it as more of a verb," said McDougall. "Theo really embodies that idea of art as a method of inquiry that takes lots of circuitous turns. Even though his background is in physics, his process is really a non-linear process, and the show really brings you into his dream of imagining these creatures."

Take a look at one of his creations in action:

When asked why he chose to create his strandbeests in the first place, Jansen replied, "I don't know why I did this. You can also ask why people have children, and they don't really have an answer for that. It's something like intuition. I cannot do anything else, maybe that's the reason." 

Intrigued? Head to The Exploratorium sometime this summer and check these things out for yourself. The exhibition will also feature artist sketches, video, and the photography of Lena Herzog.

Strandbeests: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen  opens to the public tomorrow, May 27th, and runs through Labor Day. Check the Exploratorium's website for more details about daily walking demos, as well as other related events.