Most Spectacular Photos Taken at the First Ever Beakerhead

If you're an avid reader of My Modern Met, by now, there's a great chance you've already heard of Beakerhead. The massive five-day-long smash-up just wrapped up yesterday, celebrating the fun and fascinating fusion of art, science and engineering. Along with thought-provoking talks from brilliant minds around the world, including one from former Commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield, Beakerhead put on an amazing display of eye-catching visuals. Visitors were invited to enter a colorfully lit up rocket ship that they could climb in and pilot, or hop aboard a humongous, psychedelic hippopotamus that breathed fire out its nostrils. Many other artistic installations were placed strategically throughout the city, leaving viewers spellbound as they tried to comprehend what they were seeing with their very own eyes.

In this post, we've rounded up the best photographs taken at the first annual Beakerhead. Most were taken by photographer Neil Zeller who, as you can see, has an amazing eye for visual storytelling. A special thanks goes out to him, a local Calgarian, for guiding me around to the different events located throughout the city.

From a personal perspective, after a successful inaugural year, one can only imagine how much Beakerhead will grow. It's sure to become a prominent fixture on the calendars of people from all around the world. Having the privilege of attending this year, I was not only inspired by what the event was all about, I have become a passionate advocate behind the movement and am rooting for not only Beakerhead, but the entire city of Calgary as well. Make sure to mark your calendars for next year's event!

Top photo: Astronaut and Zoe Klintberg at Endeavor Art Gallery (Neil Zeller Photography)


Astronaut on Peace Bridge (Neil Zeller Photography)


(Neil Zeller Photography)


ArcAttack performing on a stage while standing between two large Tesla coils. (Neil Zeller Photography)


Visitors were invited into an impenetrable cage to view the Tesla Coils from up close. (Leblond Studio Inc.)


Amazing 11-foot-tall Steampunk Rock Golem sculpture. (Neil Zeller Photography)


Hippo Love spews out fire through its nostrils. (Eugene Kim/My Modern Met)


Cruising in style on the Mondo Spider. (Leblond Studio Inc.)


A “humanoid robot” pilots the Raygun Gothic Rocketship. (Neil Zeller Photography)


Structures of Self – Glass clothing (Neil Zeller Photography)


Compressorhead robot band from Germany (Neil Zeller Photography)

(Neil Zeller Photography)


Raygun Gothic Rocketship by 5TonCrane (Leblond Studio Inc.)


Raygun Gothic Rocket and Hippo Love (Neil Zeller Photography)

Beakerhead website

Eugene Kim

Eugene Kim is the Editor-in-Chief of My Modern Met. In May, 2008, he co-founded the website to create one big city that celebrates creative ideas. His mission is to promote a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.
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