What is the creature that a young visitor was taking for a walk in the Event Plaza at Marina Bay Sands yesterday?

Meet Ordis, a wind-powered machine created by Dutch sculptor Theo Jansen.

The ArtScience Museum is holding the first South-east Asian exhibition of Jansen's world-famous moving sculptures, which he calls Strandbeests, or "beach animals".

Ordis, which is made of plastic and sail fabric, is one of the 13 kinetic sculptures on display at the exhibition.

Films, prints, sketches and prototypes, as well as interactive activities, are also part of the exhibition.

Mr Jansen has dedicated almost three decades of his life to creating "a new species on Earth" that blurs the lines between art and engineering, mechanics and biology.

His creatures are intricately assembled from everyday materials, mostly PVC tubing.

Over time, they have evolved to be more complex and lifelike, with specialised adaptations to suit their seaside habitat. He has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums around the world.

The "Wind Walkers: Theo Jansen's Strandbeests" exhibition at the ArtScience Museum opens on June 23 and runs until Sept 30.