Giant Kraken Legs, Googly Eyes, Adoring Street Signs, and More!

Most people will agree: the world is a strange place right now. But not strange enough to ignore huge kraken legs coming out of a building in downtown Boston. The inflatable blue and purple tentacles bust out of windows and bop up and down to the wind, almost waiving us over and encouraging us to pause and ponder what it is we’re looking at. This art work, located at the intersection of Washington Street and Bromfield Street, is among several others featured in the latest Boston public art project called Winteractive.
 
By placing works of art all over downtown Boston, Winteractive slows people down as they’re walking by and challenges them to consider what’s around and in front of them. The impact of public art can be anything from bringing some humor into your day to making you think something you wouldn’t have otherwise.
 
In addition to giant googly eyes placed on buildings throughout downtown, another great piece is outside of 125 Summer Street. Artist Scott Froschauer is rethinking the role of regular street signs that say ‘Stop,’ ‘Warning,’ or other prohibitive messages. Instead, the street signs he creates share messages like ‘You are enough’ and ‘Breathe,’ aiming to be encouraging, inspiring, and maybe even bring some joy. Because they look like regular street signs, these are easy to miss, but once you notice one, you start to look at the street differently and even keep an eye out for other ones. That’s the power of public art – prompting us to think about everyday, ordinary life in a new way. And hopefully making us smile sometimes too.
 
Winteractive is on view through March 29, 2026 in downtown Boston. For more information, visit winteractive.org.