WINTERACTIVE’S Rewards for Looking Up: Kraken Crossing and The Bison Observatory

Here are two more of the eighteen Winteractive* artworks that reward attention with discoveries and joy. Boh artist teams have created characters and stories that spark imagination. With enthusiasm, I share these quotes, photos, and links!

* WINTERACTIVE January 14–March 29, 2026, Downtown Boston’s Outdoor Winter Art Exhibition, “a free, walkable art experience featuring artworks and interactive play elements at 18 different sites, presented by the Downtown Boston Alliance. Inspired by the vibrant winter festivals and art exhibitions of our neighbors in the province of Québec in Canada…” (quote from WINTERACTIVE )

Kraken Crossing by Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas (367 Washington Street)

“From time to time during an especially frigid Winter, the tides of the Boston Harbor freeze over, and rumor has it, more than just boats can get trapped on shore. Left behind to wait until the spring thaw, this particular traveler followed a long forgotten colonial waterway that still runs beneath the streets of the historic Hub. After one too many close calls with the T, he’s emerged from the underground depths and surfaced in the heart of the city. ” ( quote from Kraken Cossing, Winteractive ) “

“Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas are driven by their passion for innovative inflatable design, public art and mischievous intervention. The duo have time again proven to be pioneers in the inflatable medium as well as carving themselves a unique niche in the international Street Art movement with their larger than life site specific urban sculptures and anarchic humour.” ( quote from Kraken Cossing, Winteractive )

The Bison Observatory by Individuals Collective (Winthrop Square)

“This installation transforms a retro camping trailer into a playful basecamp and site for discovery in Winthrop Square. From his rooftop perch, a wooden bison explorer peers through a telescope toward a massive rocket installed on a nearby rooftop, tying the square to Boston’s history as the site of America’s first recorded UFO sighting by John Winthrop in 1639.” (quote from The Bison Observatory, Winteractive)

“The result blends roadside Americana with sci-fi folklore — a lived-in public hangout that doubles as large-scale art, inviting visitors to gather, explore, and wonder why the ships have returned to Boston.“(quote from The Bison Observatory, Winteractive)

“INDIVIDUALS Collective is a Boston-based art and design studio specializing in large-scale,site-specific sculptural installations. Founded in 2005, the collective creates immersive, handcrafted works that combine salvaged materials, architectural structure, and playful surrealism.” (quote from The Bison Observatory, Winteractive)

“The Bison Observatory introduces “Bo,” a hand-built wooden bison researcher who has taken up temporary residence in Winthrop Square. Perched beside a retrofitted observatory trailer outfitted with telescopes, antennas, and communication equipment, Bo appears to be carefully monitoring the skies — perhaps in response to a curious rocket that has mysteriously appeared overhead.” ( quote from Individuals Collective website)

Planning to visit a few more artworks, I hope you’ll explore too before WINTERACTIVE ends on March 29!