Giant eyes, see-saws and tentacles appear in downtown Boston

Editor's note: This story is an excerpt from WBUR's weekly arts and culture newsletter, The ARTery. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.

If you close your eyes, you’ll hear the sounds of a children's playground: high-pitched chatter and laughter, shoes running across pavement, and the metal crank of see-saws going up and down.

It's a sunny winter afternoon in downtown Boston. Eight bright blue see-saws line the entrance to Macy’s, and each seat is occupied by children and adults, gleefully bouncing up and down.

The water-filled see-saws – an interactive art piece called “e/motion” by designer and artist Olivier Landreville – are one of 18 public art installations included in this year’s Winteractive exhibition. Now in its third year, Winteractive is a public outdoor art exhibition presented by the Downtown Boston Alliance.

“We’re a cold weather city and people kind of get stuck in their habits in the wintertime,” said Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance. Inspired by lively winter festivals in Quebec, Nichols hopes Winteractive gives people a reason to visit downtown between New Year’s Day and the Boston Marathon in April.

Since 2024, Winteractive has gradually expanded; the number of installations has risen from 16 to 18, and they now extend beyond downtown Boston borders into locations like Boston City Hall and the New England Aquarium.

This year, two local artists were invited to participate in the exhibition. (Winteractive’s exclusive focus on international artists raised questions in 2024.) “Walruses on the Rings of Saturn,” an acrylic painting by local Mashpee Wampanoag artist Robert Peters, creates a colorful, otherworldly backdrop against Landreville’s aquatic see-saws on Summer Street. Walk three blocks south toward Winthrop Square and you’ll find “The Bison Observatory,” designed by Boston-based creative studio Individuals Collective. There, a wooden bison explorer sitting on a camper van peers at a rocket on a nearby rooftop, subtly referencing America’s first UFO sighting by John Winthrop in 1639.

“The exhibition has grown, so I think we're also making the table bigger and making more room for local artists,” explained Nichols. Still, the intention is to continue featuring national and international artists as well. Nichols spoke of inspiring Bostonians with art from around the globe, as well as the environmental and financial considerations of reusing existing art that withstands the winter weather and can be delivered on a short timeline. “We had a point of comfort with artworks that had been shown elsewhere in similar conditions, especially like the Quebec province of Canada, where a number of our partnerships are rooted,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that the type of artwork that we were likely to pursue would adapt to the elements.”

Colin Driesch, creative director of the Individuals Collective, is excited by the unique local and international platform that Winteractive provides. “The more the city is able to do stuff like this, the more they can keep local artists here in Boston,” said Driesch.

Foot traffic in downtown has also steadily increased since 2024, according to Nichols. Relying on social media and website viewcounts, he estimated that Winteractive drew 650,000 people to downtown Boston in 2024 and 800,000 people in 2025.

Cailey Tennyson of Somerville discovered this year’s Winteractive exhibition through a TikTok video. She was especially drawn to the see-saws. “We wanted to have a whimsical, fun day,” said Tennyson, who had just snapped a photo of the 12 glowing human sculptures in “Artificial Humans.”

Two large googly eyes, “Big Other 2” designed by Quebec artists Collectif Pierre&Marie, are affixed to the brick exterior of Brattle Book Shop. “Every little thing makes a big difference,” said Ken Gloss, proprietor of the bookstore. Most customers browse through the outdoor bookshelves, but occasionally someone looks up in surprised delight. “Art makes people smile. People notice it. It’s a reason to come into town,” Gloss said. While the art hasn’t increased sales directly, Gloss explained that it has a ripple effect; a reaction turns into a conversation with a friend, a social media post, or media coverage, which brings traffic to the streets.

Like Tennyson, Tea Pritchett of Mattapan first learned about Winteractive on TikTok. The biggest incentive to come downtown, however, was not the see-saws — it was the free holiday parking on MLK Day.

Despite being a native Bostonian, it has been nearly a year since Pritchett visited downtown Boston. When asked what would encourage her to come to the area more often, Pritchett said, “More parking.” “Free parking,” added her date, Mistah Parker of Roxbury.

Parker also suggested more interactive activities to further engage people with the art installations. “Why not have a hot chocolate competition?”

According to Nichols, Parker’s vision of hot chocolate may become a reality – several local vendors will be serving warm drinks from “The Bison Observatory” camper van during upcoming Winteractive tours.

In the coming weeks, visitors can sign up for public tours online. The Downtown Boston Alliance also recently launched a ticketed food festival on Feb. 26, where guests can sample bites from local eateries and enjoy a unique view of the bison.

Driesch hinted that visitors may also get a chance to enter the bison’s van and meet a special creature hidden inside.

Winteractive is on view through March 29.