Why is there a giant floating clown head in downtown Boston?

As it turns out, there isn’t just one clown head, but two. They’re floating in between Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre and the shuttered nightclub Felt. 

The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, or BID, confirmed the clown heads in question are part of a series of art installations that have already or are planning to be put up around downtown, called “Winteractive.”

If you remember the 56-foot whale titled “Echoes – A Voice From Uncharted Waters,” located at the intersection of Washington and Franklin streets, that was the first of 16 art installations that will be placed throughout downtown through the Sunday of Boston Marathon weekend. 

The clown heads, called “Endgame (Nagg and Nell),” are the third piece, one that BID assumed would spark conversation.

“You don’t have to like clowns to find it interesting and whimsical that there are two inflated clown heads 15 to 20 feet off the ground wedged in an alleyway in downtown Boston,” said BID president Michael Nichols. “We think it’s going to delight people as they come across it.” 

In messages with Caban, he said while clown art isn’t really his thing, he “enjoyed the surprise this morning” of seeing the art, then sharing it with others. 

When Nichols was there during the set-up of the installation Wednesday, he said the crowd steadily grew larger, with people stopping to take pictures. 

The clown heads — one appearing happier, the other more sad — sort of resemble the comedy and tragedy masks often associated with theater, making its location in the Theater District a fitting choice. They’re made of recycled banners by Max Streicher, a Canadian installation artist, commissioned by art organization EXMURO.

Nichols said setting up the clowns in the alley way should wrap by the end of the day, after their team secures both clowns to one of the buildings, which is how they’ll stay afloat and in place. 

The point of Winteractive, Nichols said, is to give Bostonians something to do during the dreary winter months and to get them in businesses downtown during a time of year when Boston restaurants and shops see less foot traffic. 

“We haven’t given (Bostonians) enough to do, enough interaction, enough things in the public realm to make winter more appealing,” Nichols said. “We want to be part of that (change).”

You can find “Endgame” just next to Modern Theatre at 525 Washington Street.

If clowns aren’t really your thing, BID plans to roll out the rest of their 16 installations between now and Jan. 17. Those interested can find more information about the next projects on BID’s social media.