Since 1990, the Dutch artist Theo Jansen has been developing a series of mechanical creature-like skeletal devices he has named strandbeest (Dutch - "beach animal"). For nearly twenty years he has devoted his time to developing the strandbeests, applying a fascinating mix of the basic principles of Darwinian evolution and engineering to invest the machines with increasingly sophisticated animal-like abilities, including complex articulated locomotion to enable them to walk and sensory mechanisms which allow them to respond to aspects of their immediate environment. Some of the most impressive features of the strandbeests are that they have no electronic elements; that they can capture energy from the wind, with wing-like sails, to power their movement and, most recently, store this energy. Much of the materials used in their construction are recycled scrap, predominantly plastic conduit piping widely used in The Netherlands for carrying electricity cables. Jansen's latest strandbeest, the 12 metre long Animaris Umerus - one of the biggest yet, has been constructed especially for this event where it will form a central part of Shift Time – A Festival of Ideas, celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin in the town of his birth.
These forms are not made of protein like the existing life-forms. Theirs is another basic stuff: yellow plastic tubing. Skeletons made from these tubes are able to walk. They get their energy from the wind, so they don't have to eat. They evolved gradually, over several generations. As they developed, they became more adept at weathering storms and coping with the sea. My ultimate wish is to release herds of these beach animals on the shore to make their own way through life. By redoing the Creation, so to speak, I hope to become wiser in my dealings with the nature that is already there. It presents me with the same problems the Real Creator must have come up against. The works are a testimonial to my experiences as God. I can assure you that it's not easy being God. There are plenty of disappointments along the way. But on the few occasions that things work out, being God is the most wonderful thing in the world. THEO JANSEN
Animaris Umerus is currently undergoing technical trials on the beach at De Fuut near Den Haag, Netherlands. These are open to the public, dates and times are available here Theo Jansen and Animaris Umerus will return to the UK in summer 2010 and will be shown in Tynemouth and Newcastle upon Tyne, and Exeter and Exmouth (presented by Spacex).
We're currently working on a comprehensive online archive of our projects to date. Please check back soon.
|
