Irrepressible Inventions

Fifi
Last weekend, American Visionary Art Museum's eight-hour Kinetic Sculpture Race lit up the streets, mud, and water of Baltimore. AVAM's Kinetic Sculpture Race is a "celebration of Creativity, Ingenuity, Community Involvement, and Irrepressible Spirit." There is an impressive amount of irrepressible spirit involved in this event. Spectators are as festive as the entrants.

Scientific Helmet

Thinking Cap

Awards include the most coveted Mediocre Award (for the entry that finishes right in the middle) and the highly prized Next-to-Last Award (for the entry that almost came in last) and serious art and engineering prizes.

The Platypus team, who won the Mediocre Award

All photos by M.V. Jantzen:

Go Ask Alice

Ankh-ers Away

Kipplala

Lobe Trotters

Vechysvboat

~ More photos here and here.
~ Guidance about how to build a kinetic sculpture
~ One of the most interesting rules: PERSONAL SECURITY RULE
"Each Sculpture must carry at all times 1 comforting item of psychological luxury heretofore referred to as the “Homemade Sock Creature” (HSC). Homemade Sock Creature must be made in a home, from a not-too-recently-worn sock from the home, and resemble a creature homemade from a sock."