Moved by the Wind

Monday 13 November 20.00 CET
Inspiring talk with Theo Jansen and the international wind festival bewegter wind.

Our special guest will be the scientist-turned-artist Theo Jansen NL, who obtained world fame with his Strandbeesten (Beach Animals). Since 1990 Jansen transforms simple materials - plastic tube and Tiewrap -, into ever more complex creatures. Propelled by the wind, they seem to come to life. https://www.strandbeest.com/

Artist and curator Reta Reinl DE will speak about Bewegter Wind. This International Wind Festival that she founded in 2004, stages wind art in the diverse landscape of Northern Hesse DE. The installations make the wind visible and creates a dialogue between art and nature. https://bewegter-wind.de/index.php/en/

Join our Zoom Meeting on Monday, 13 November, 20.00 CET.

After the lectures get together and networking in smaller groups.
Curating and moderation by curator Anne Berk.

The event will be held in English. Participation is free of charge, all you need is a PC, tablet or smartphone with an internet connection. Please register with the orange button "Register!" on the lefthand corner of this page to receive the link to the Zoom meeting.

Theo Jansen

“After finishing my studies in engineering, I started painting. After a while my ‘physics’ background inspired me to develop and build installations of which a UFO and the painting machine were the most talked about and remarkable. At that time, I also became a columnist for the science section of the Volkskrant (Dutch national newspaper).

I wrote a kind of fantasies about all kinds of phenomena, especially about evolution and physical issues. One article was about skeletons on the beach that would catch wind and collect sand to raise the dunes as a measure against the rising sea levels. This was the origin of the creation of the beach animals. Six months later I started experimenting with an electrical tube (PVC tube). 30 years later I am still not tired of the material and the development of the beach animals.

My interest in developing new life forms was particularly encouraged after I read the book of Richard Dawkins' The Blind Watchmaker. I became fascinated by the evolutionairy process. I make skeletons that are able to walk on the wind. Over time, these skeletons have become increasingly better at surviving the elements such as storms and water and eventually I want to put these animals out in herds on the beaches, so they will live their own lives."

Bewegter Wind

"bewegter wind" stages wind art in the diverse landscape of Northern Hesse, Germany and in other interesting sceneries.

The wind art festival attracts visitors to the landscape and brings them into conversation with each other. Wind art objects, installations, wind videos and performances fascinate visitors of all ages, guests and locals, art lovers and nature lovers.

Since 2004, 11 international art competitions have been announced and carried out. So far, 710 works of art by 601 artists from 37 countries have been exhibited at 35 locations.