As you probably know, I’m a big fan of the Edinburgh International Science Festival. One of the great things is the pop-up, free events such as exhibitions. This year there are two that stand out.

Pisces by Jason Hackenwerth Suspended from the Grand Gallery roof of the National Museum Scotland, Pisces is an epic feat of balloon art. Hackenwerth’s inspiration came from the legend of Eros and Aphrodite who disguised themselves as intertwined fish – the namesake Pisces. The 10,000 balloons spiral downwards, a giant open maw hovering above your head, invoking the myth of the Leviathan and the mysterious creatures of the deep. Pisces is complemented by exhibits around deep-sea exploration, including the Falcon, a remote operated vehicle. Not sure I would have named a sea-faring camera after a bird by hey-ho.

Playful, mesmerizing and awe-inspiring, Pisces is an exciting additional to an already fantastic museum. It is on display until 14th April so don’t miss it!

Patterns in Nature This year, the annual outdoor exhibition at St Andrews Square looks at the beauty of naturally occurring patterns, colours and shapes. Each subject is wonderfully photographed and accompanied by an explanation of the occurences, as well as often explaining how the photograph itself was taken.

Each stand is double-sided so I’d recommend that you give yourself a good half hour to fully experience the whole exhibition in one, or if you’re a regular to that part of town, it also lends itself well to dipping in and out of. And don’t forget to wrap up warm since we’ve been seeing a lot of the above pictured snowflakes!