Theo Jansen

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Records

Theo Jansen's Strandbeesten have earned him a unique place in both the art and engineering worlds. He is one of the few artists to have his work featured in both the Museum of Modern Art and popular science documentaries. His creatures have been called "the most extraordinary kinetic sculptures ever built" by critics. Jansen's ability to create artificial life from simple materials has inspired a generation of makers and artists. He holds the distinction of being the only person to have developed a new species of kinetic life form, with over 40 distinct generations. His TED Talk has been viewed over 10 million times, spreading his philosophy of merging art and evolution.

AwardsJansen has not won major competitive awards, though his work has been recognized with several honors. He received the Golden Nica at Ars Electronica in 1996 for his Strandbeesten, and was awarded the Witteveen+Bos Art+Technology Prize in 2016. These accolades celebrate his unique fusion of art and engineering.

Honours & Distinctions

Golden Nica

Ars Electronica·1996

Awarded for Interactive Art for the Strandbeesten

Witteveen+Bos Art+Technology Prize

Witteveen+Bos·2016

Prize for the fusion of art and technology in the Strandbeesten

Records & Feats

First to create a species of wind-powered kinetic sculptures that walk autonomously

Historic First·1990

Jansen's Strandbeesten are the only known sculptures that use wind power to walk on beaches, evolving over 40 generations since 1990.