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Wind-Powered Strandbeests Amble Their Way Into Boston

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A Strandbeest walks across the Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
A Strandbeest walks across the Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

A strange new species has made its way to Boston.

Strandbeests — wind-powered kinetic sculptures that were created by the Dutch artist Theo Jansen -- strolled across Boston City Hall Plaza Friday afternoon and take to the city's Rose Kennedy Greenway Friday evening. That follows an earlier appearance, on Saturday, Aug. 22., when they wandered along Crane Beach in Ipswich.

Above, listen to audio of Strandbeests on Crane Beach, and below, see photos and video of the sculptures on the beach and at Boston City Hall.

The Strandbeests will kick off their first major U.S. exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem in September.

Crane Beach:

On Aug. 22, "Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen" came to Crane Beach, where the kinetic sculptures walked around for the public. (Susan Hagner for WBUR)
On Aug. 22, "Strandbeest: The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen" came to Crane Beach, where the kinetic sculptures walked around for the public. (Susan Hagner for WBUR)
(Susan Hagner for WBUR)
(Susan Hagner for WBUR)

Boston City Hall Plaza:

A Strandbeest walks across the Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
A Strandbeest walks across the Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Francesca William, registrar for exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum, answers the crowd’s questions about Strandbeests. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Francesca William, registrar for exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum, answers the crowd’s questions about Strandbeests. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Matthew O’Connell, of Sudbury, carries his son Taylor on his shoulders so he can take a picture of a Strandbeest in City Hall Plaza. “It’s really cool,” says Taylor. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Matthew O’Connell, of Sudbury, carries his son Taylor on his shoulders so he can take a picture of a Strandbeest in City Hall Plaza. “It’s really cool,” says Taylor. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
(Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

This article was originally published on August 28, 2015.

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George Hicks Senior Producer/Technical Director, Special Projects
George Hicks is the former technical director/producer for special projects and Open Source with Christopher Lydon. He has recorded jazz greats Stan Getz, Keith Jarrett and Roscoe Mitchell among others, and plays and composes jazz in his spare time.

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Headshot of Robin Lubbock

Robin Lubbock Videographer, Photographer
Robin Lubbock is a videographer and photographer for WBUR.

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