Theo Jansen

Like me, Theo Jansen started out in science, went into art, and ended up somewhere in between. He has spent the past 15 years making what he calls “Strandbeesten” — kinetic sculptures designed to roam the beaches of his native Holland. Reminiscent of web-based Sodaconstructor creations, Jansen’s Strandbeesten are computer generated products of evolutionary algorithms. However, the physicality of Jansen’s creatures gives them an uncanny lifelikeness that surpasses any computer simulation.

Jansen’s book, The Great Pretender, looks interesting as well. Along with Douglas Hofstadter, Buddha, and a host of prophets through the ages, Jansen believes that the ego is an evolutionarily useful fantasy created by our daydreaming minds.

STRANDBEESTEN_TRAILER from Alexander Schlichter on Vimeo.