Everybody won at the 24th Annual Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race.

Jun 26

Alright, kids let me tell you about the wildest race you'll ever witness: the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race 2023!

Hosted by one of the greatest art spaces on the planet, The American Visionary Art Museum, this ain't your run-of-the-mill marathon. This is a spectacle like no other, a pageant of absurdity and engineering prowess that will leave you dizzy with delight.

For those not in the know, the Kinetic Sculpture Race is a yearly event that takes place in Baltimore, Maryland, and has been going strong since 1999. The concept is simple enough: teams of artists and engineers create human-powered sculptures that can traverse land, water, mud, and sand, all while dazzling the crowd with their aesthetic and performative qualities.

The racecourse is an obstacle course that spans 15 miles through Baltimore streets, parks, and even the harbor. It features everything from steep hills to treacherous water crossings.

And let me tell you, watching these massive sculptures try to navigate through mud pits and over sand dunes is a sight to behold.

But it's not just about the physical challenge. The Kinetic Sculpture Race is also a showcase for creativity and imagination. This year's suggested theme was "Everyday People," and like the everyday people of Baltimore, each sculpture had its own theme and narrative. The teams went all out to bring them to life. You saw everything from a pharaoh's precision to a 30-foot-long alligator, a hammerhead shark, and a salute to the British royal family, all powered by human sweat and ingenuity.

And the crowd is just as much a part of the show as the racers. You'll find yourself surrounded by people in all sorts of costumes: giant chickens, fairy princesses, hippies, and oddballs. That's part of the charm of the race and Charm City itself: everyday people celebrating weirdness and individuality. Even if you're not a gearhead or an art aficionado, there's something undeniably infectious about the energy of Baltimore's Kinetic Sculpture Race. It's a reminder that there's still room in this world for playfulness and creativity, and that we can come together as a community to celebrate the weird and wonderful.