Why pink and naked inflatables are popping up in downtown Boston

Visitors to downtown Boston this winter will be treated to a strange sight: a huge, inflatable pink figure with a naked bottom and a surprised expression, perched on rooftops, suspended between buildings and wedged between the branches of a tree.

His name is Monsieur Rose, or Mr. Pink.

The sculptures, six in all, are part of Winteractive, a series of 24 pop-up public art works commissioned by the Downtown Boston Alliance. Last year, the business association was behind a surreal set of giant clown heads that went viral on social media, provoking reactions that ranged from charmed to disturbed. This year, the cute but unnerving pink sculptures aim to generate more buzz.

“We need artworks that will compel a visit. That you will be missing something if you don't come see it, that everyone else is talking about it,” said Downtown Boston Alliance president Michael Nichols. “We're not focused on whether people like the art, we're focused on whether they want to come see it.”

“Mr. Pink” is the creation of Philippe Katerine, a French musician and artist known for his controversial, semi-naked performance at the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. His are not the only provocative sculptures in the mix. A piece by Brandon Vickerd, called “Alouette,” depicts a parked car that appears to have been crushed by a fallen satellite. Other sculptures in the series make use of light, movement and interactivity.

The point of Winteractive, now in its second year, is to attract foot traffic downtown during the city’s coldest months. Downtown Boston Alliance, which was previously known as the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, estimates that the inaugural Winteractive brought 650,000 visitors to downtown Boston last year, an estimate drawn from foot traffic data collected at the sites and analysis of social media.

Like last year, the Downtown Boston Alliance engaged several Quebec-based studios to help curate the installations.

“They, better than I think most American cold weather cities, have developed an area of their public art environment or ecosystem that corresponds to the unique challenge of winter,” Nichols said.

Ultimately, he added, they anticipate the relationship with Quebec’s arts community to become reciprocal. “We will expect that they begin hiring and engaging local Boston artists for exhibitions in Quebec City, Montreal, and in other places,” Nichols said.

Winteractive is on view through March 30.