Strandbeesten, a Portrait of Theo Jansen

German filmmaker Alexander Schlichter spent five years shooting and perfecting a 32 minutes documentary called "Strandbeesten".  It is an intimate portrait of the Dutch kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, who has been creating wind-powered kinetic sculptures since 1990.  These artificial lives that the artist dubbed Strandbeests (which means “beach animals” in Dutch) resemble skeletons of animals that roam the beaches of the Netherlands. They are built from lightweight plastic tubes and recycled bottles. The artist designs it so that it is capable to move and survive on its own. 

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.~ Theo Jansen

via Strandbeestmovie and Strandbeest