Theo Jansen at Exeter Spacex
Theo Jansen’s Job Title might be is hard to pin down. He is part architect, part artist, part vet, and arguably part magician. He speaks of himself as ‘part engineer who wants to match the progress of mobility, another part of me is an artist who wants to sculpt the earth around us and give it shape’ Jansen’s creations are skeletal sculptures, set to roam up and down beaches on their own accord. He has named these constructs ‘Strandbeests’ translating from his Dutch language of origin to mean simply ‘Beach Animals’.
On visiting the Spacex gallery, it is more like visiting some sort of archaeological dig than a conventional art gallery. The space is filled with Jansen’s ‘Fossils’: the bare bones which incorporate together to make the fantastic beach machines. Jansen treads the line between awe and repulsion, the recycled scrap pieces are melded together in a way that seems a little too similar to actual bone structures to be entirely comfortable. A selection of drawings accompanies the fossils and acts to begin to build up an idea of the complete structure Jansen aims and frequently succeeds to make. The greatest moment for the Spacex exhibition comes as you watch all the component parts come to life, from their inert forms in a series of beautifully created video pieces exhibiting the sculptures in action. It is a miracle of architecture as these animalistic structures are driven along sand and through sea water. Entirely self-propelled the artist truly produces something with a mind of its own, free to move in its natural environment only as the forces of the beach dictate. Some of the footage shows the machines running and gambolling along the seashore which others document a stuttering restricted series of movements.
To truly experience the magic of the ‘Strandbeests’ one has to see them in action for oneself. Luckily for all of us, the location that Jansen has chosen to show his beautiful creations lies but a fifteen minute train or bus ride away on the beach at Exmouth. Jansen’s newest animal ‘Animaris Siamesis’ is released into its natural environment from the 25-27th June between 2pm and 4pm, and if you are too lazy to head down to the beach (which is the BEST place to see them) then you can also see the Strandbeest in Princesshay Square on the 2-4th July at the same times. Both of the viewings are completely free and a great chance to experience some truly ‘moving’ art!
