There are no clowns: this is “creepy” art.
A public art installation of two giant clown heads in downtown Boston has gotten tourists and Bostonians talking — but not everyone is laughing.
The clowns are part of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District’s “Winteractive” walkable art experience launched this month in hopes of giving those exploring downtown “a delightful experience around every corner.”
The clowns were one of 16 exhibits but they were singled out by some passers-by for being “creepy”.
Photos and videos of the installation shared by BID received mixed reactions, with one Instagram user receiving over 900 likes on their comment saying the piece “looked like something out of the original Batman movie.”
The unique work, titled “Endgame (Nagg & Nell)” features two inflatable clown heads with shocked expressions sandwiched between two buildings in Harlem Place Alley.
Artist Max Streicher told Axios that he tried to make the inflatable clowns look “kind of anxious and just stunned and shocked by their condition.”
Another Internet commenter called the red-nosed clown “very creepy” and several Instagram users compared him to the work of Junji Ito, a Japanese horror manga artist.
Others were quick to pounce on the city, with one critic calling the piece a “perfect metaphor” for the city, while another wrote, “There are so many clowns in Boston that the whole city is filled.”
The inflatable clown artwork was placed downtown on January 17 as part of the BID’s downtown “Winteractive” installation. Boston Globe via Getty Images
A Bostonian took it X to ponder, “Well, who had the idea to add a creepy clown to the overall somewhat menacing atmosphere…”
Another joked, “Everyone who used to bully me is now a creepy clown head in downtown Boston.”
While there are always critics, many are quick to sing “Send In The Clowns.”
A similar clown head created by Streicher was erected in Toronto in 2010. Toronto Star via Getty Images The clowns will remain downtown until April 14, just one week before the Boston Marathon. Boston Globe via Getty Images
“Didn’t know about this. Thanks for sharing,” commented one Instagram user with a heart-eyed emoji. “Interesting thing on the way Downtown,” added another.
“We saw them on Saturday, followed by a walk to Brattle’s Bookstore. Nice to see everyone having fun with this. Boston provides so many great things to do,” added another.
Winteractive features eight artists and design teams from Canada, England and the US, many of whom are performing in America for the first time, the Downtown Boston BID said in a press release.
“This exhibition will enliven and illuminate our streets this winter, bring internationally renowned artists to Boston, and tour downtown that can include shopping, dining, live performances or office work,” said organization president Michael Nichols.
The 16 installations, established on January 17, will remain in the city until April 14, which is the Sunday before the Boston Marathon.
Winteractive has received a lot of attention. The Boston Fire Department had to remove a life-like sculpture of a fisherman perched atop a Chipotle restaurant after they received several calls concerned that it looked like a real person was sitting on the roof, The Boston Globe reported.
The piece was moved to a one-story Macy’s building, not far from the rest of the installation.
The Post has reached out to Streicher for comment.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
