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.

WINTERACTIVE Photos by Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Business Improvement District
WINTERACTIVE Photos by Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Business Improvement District

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.

Unicorn sculpture in WINTERACTIVE – Photos by Annielly Camargo – Downtown Boston Business Improvement District

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.

Upside down man in Boston WINTERACTIVE public art exhibit – Photos by Annielly Camargo: Downtown Boston Business Improvement District

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

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.

Boston public art is WINTERACTIVE – Photos by Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Business Improvement District
Guitar playset in Downtown Boston – WINTERACTIVE Photos by Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Business Improvement District

Winteractive is open 24-7 until April 14th.

For anyone looking to plan a visit to Winteractive, it’s about a 20-minute circuit to see all of the installations. Located east of Boston Common, both the subway stops ‘State’ and ‘Chinatown’ are good places to start. North to South, most of the installations can be seen along Washington St. and the adjoining streets in between those two stops.

For the rest, it’s a matter of following Summer St. southeast until High St., and following it northeast.

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