Boston welcomed two unusual new tenants to the city Wednesday morning: Two giant, inflatable clown heads.
Nagg and Nell, who settled between two buildings in an alley off Washington Street near Boston Common, are the second in a series of art installations that will appear over the next week as a part of “Winteractive,” a free interactive art exhibition of 16 installations from eight artists spread throughout downtown.
The exhibits are part of an initiative from the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and three curatorial organizations located in Québec, Canada, to bring life back to downtown Boston during the winter months, according to the business improvement district.
The interactive nature of the installations is meant to inspire Boston residents to explore the city and enjoy the season rather than hibernating under the covers, the district's president, Michael Nichols, said in a news release.
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The first exhibit, an 11,000-pound steel whale sculpture, was installed over the Steps at Downtown Crossing in December. Other exhibits will include a mural, a light and music show powered by human-made energy, a guitar slide and an interactive bonfire made of lightbulbs that flicker according to the viewer’s movements.
The installations will all be on display beginning Jan. 17 and remain in place through April 14.
