Streetbeest2010

Building a giant, walking sculpture for HONK! through community-driven design

Through an all-ages community program, more than four dozen people of all skill levels came together to design and build a twelve-foot tall, twenty-foot wide walking sculpture inspired by the work of Dutch artist Theo Jansen. The work culminated in a mile long march from Davis to Harvard Square as part of the 2010 HONK! Parade.

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A small k'nex model of a single pair of legs
A larger, k'nex model with two sets of legs connected by a crankshaft and gear
Wood is leaned up against a large whiteboard full of math, measurements, and diagrams
A detail shot of the gear that drives the machine
Someone jumps up on the streetbeest during the HONK! Parade to fix something
Someone rides their bike alongside the streetbeest
Someone plays a didgeridoo to the sky in front of the streetbeest on parade day
A detail shot of the streetbeest legs create sharp angles against the telephone lines overhead
The streetbeest marches by a bank, appears the same height as the building because of perspective
The streetbeest fills the street, led by large painted signs that say "sprout"
The streetbeest stands like a huge, wooden spider, entering Harvard Square