Beakerhead 2016: 5 Exhibits You Have To See | HuffPost

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It's a wild mashup of art, science and engineering.

Sarah Rieger— The Huffington Post Alberta

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For five days every September, Calgary turns into a mad scientist's dream, thanks to Beakerhead.

The multidisciplinary festival is a wild mashup of art, science and engineering that allows participants to be hands-on and turn on their imaginations.

The festival, which was co-founded by former Discovery Channel host Jay Ingram, runs Sept. 14-18.

Here are five must-see exhibits at Beakerhead 2016.

(Photo: Beakerhead)

TOUCH

Calgary's Ghost River Theatre has been exploring what happens to theatre when you remove sight and focus on the other four senses.

TOUCH takes place in a salon. Audience members will be blindfolded and will have their hair washed during the performance.

The Fine Diner is one of the restuarants participating in Beakerhead's Engineered Eats. (Photo: Beakerhead/Pixels and Photons)

Engineered Eats

Beakerhead is definitely a multi-sensory experience, and Engineered Eats is one of the highlights.

Over 30 restaurants around Calgary have created experimental dishes with a "colloid of butterfat molecules in a water-based fluid, containing dissolved carbohydrates and protein aggregates with minerals." Otherwise known as "milk."

For those diners looking to get a bit more hands-on, there will also be chances to learn more about the science of food — including a chance to perfect your poutine by learning how to make cheese curds from scratch.

(Photo: wwarby/Flickr)

Gameboy Remix

Have an old gameboy lying around? Turns out it's good for more than just rekindling your nostalgia for Pokemon games.

Bring it to this event and musician Kevin Stebner will help you reprogram it to create chiptune music.

(Photo: Getty)

La Bella Luna

Nerds, this is the perfect date.

Astronomer Roland Dechesne will give a lecture on the moon and humanity's plans for it, while the University of Calgary choir serenades the audience under the stars at the Rothney Astronomical Observatory.

Afterwards, visitors will have a chance to look through the observatory's telescopes — although if the clouds stay away, the constellation Cygnus should be visible with the naked eye.

BASS Ship

It's like a space ship, but much cooler.

This fully immersive, two-storey audio-visual installation explores the idea of non-verbal communication. The crew (or visitors exploring the inside of the ship) will be able to interact with the outside audience through control panels that will make the entire craft come alive with light and sound.

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A Look At Beakerhead 2015

The Claw(01 of08)

Did anyone else read that in the voice of those little green guys from Toy Story? Anyway, this giant-sized arcade toy will be a part of the Sandbox of Human Ingenuity. The 30-foot-high game will require a little more skill than usual—you’ll have to collaborate if you want to win.Where: Station B, Fort CalgaryWhen: Sept. 17 - 20 (credit:Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd./Flickr)

Catharsis Catapult Competition(02 of08)

If you have a little bit of rage you need to work off, the Catharsis Catapult Comp is the place to be. Teams will design and build catapults to launch their “love-to-hate” items into the air. The team that hits the furthest target wins! If you think this sounds like fun, you can start prepping a team for next year—and prepping those items to destroy. Where: Fort CalgaryWhen: Sept. 20, 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. (credit:Chris Malloy Photography/Flickr)

The Gorgeous Molecule(03 of08)

Modernist cuisine and Beakerhead go together like apple pie and cheddar cheese (weird, but good). Food and cocktails will be combined in a lab - each floor of the Barron Building will hold a different experience/experiment for your tastebuds. Where: Barron BuildingWhen: Sept. 17, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. (credit:Chris Malloy Photography/Flickr)

Backstage Tours at ATP(04 of08)

Ever wonder how those beautiful stages at Alberta Theatre Projects are brought to life? The cast has a lot to do with it, but before that, much of the magic is done behind the scenes by the crew. Journey behind the curtain and explore everything from the carpentry shop to the rafters at the Martha Cohen Theatre. Where: Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts CommonsWhen: Sept. 19, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. (credit:Kelly Hofer/Flickr)

Dog Orchestra(05 of08)

Yes, the Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA is performing at Beakerhead’s opening night, but we’re recommending another musical act. Bear with us. On Stephen Avenue, there will be a dog orchestra. No, these dogs can’t play the instruments—they are the instruments. Each time you pet these local pooches’ fur, it will complete a circuit and a note will play. Where: Stephen Avenue Walk, Between Centre and 3 St. SWWhen: Sept. 16 - 18, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (credit:Kevin de Vlaming/Calgary is Awesome)

Temporary Gallery of Lasting Impressions(06 of08)

Calgary’s historic first skyscraper, the Barron Building (formerly home to the Uptown and Marquee Room) will be coming to life as part of A String (Theory) Of Incredible Encounters, an interwoven string of public, interactive artworks that will be on display around the city. One of the highlights at the building is Nanoleaf, an installation by Calgary-based internationally renowned artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett. Where: Barron BuildingWhen: Sept. 20, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (credit:Caitlind r.c. Brown/Flickr)

Girls Learning Code(07 of08)

The Girls Learning Code workshops were created to help young women see technology in a whole new light. This special edition will do that literally—with MakeFashion designer Katheryn Blair available to teach girls ages 8-13 how to make their own wearable, glowing, tech. Their creations will be debuted at Beakernight, the festival’s pinnacle free, outdoor spectacle. Where: The CommonsWhen: Sept. 19, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (credit:Chic Geek/Beakerhead Website)

Intrude(08 of08)

Journey through the looking glass with these white rabbits from Australian artist Amanda Parer. Part of A String (Theory) of Incredible Encounters, these four (maybe five?) giant illuminated bunnies are intended to draw attention to the wildlife in our midst. Where: Central Memorial Park (and one hidden rabbit somewhere in Victoria Park)When: Sept. 16 - 20 (credit:Amanda Parer/Flickr)

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