Whimsical Street Art Catches Everyone Off Guard and Delights Downtown Boston at 16 Locations

In celebration of winter, a group of Canadian artists have come to Boston and put together all kinds of art installations as part of a walking exhibit called Winteractive.

Presented by the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, Winteractive contains 16 works with interactive elements meant to delight, confuse, or inspire.

These two clown heads located on Washington St., for example, turn heritage building facades and a small space between them into a ludicrous scene from a Samuel Beckett play.

Endgame tells the story of Nagg and Nell who live out their days in a dumpster after losing their legs, and the sculpture takes the name and the spirit of this story.

This installation is an interactive, musical, visual, and luminous experience—an urban bonfire comprising 220 light bulbs that flicker in response to spectators’ movements.

Whether they sway or dance, festivalgoers stir the virtual embers and trigger flames that dance, spark, and swirl, creating warmth, light, and music. A shared experience conceived as a tribute to Montreal’s inclusive festive tradition.

Here, at the corner of Court and Washington, a frosted glass box hints at a legendary beast.

Both on display and yet also concealed, it does well to represent our fascination with mythical creatures such as dragons and unicorns. Lit up at night, it’s sure to leave you dazzled.

Entitled ‘Untitled’, a smattering of figures engage with the urban landscapes in different ways, that are whimsical, shocking, and unbelieveable.

These plain clothes “trompe-l’oeil sculptures*” have had people passing through the Business Improve District doing second takes to make sure they aren’t real. (* visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye)

For anyone looking to plan a visit to Winteractive, it’s about a 20-minute circuit to see all of the installations.