BE@RBRICK from Medicom Toy, which boasts immense popularity as an icon of art and fashion overseas. In Macau, a city bustling with over 35 million tourists annually, the annual large-scale event "BE@RBRICK MACAU" is being held from July 29th to September 22nd. Here, we will introduce the highlights of "BE@RBRICK MACAU 2023," billed as the "world's first experiential BE@RBRICK art exhibition."

Macau is a Special Administrative Region located across the Pearl River Estuary from Hong Kong, on the southern coast of mainland China. Returned to China from Portuguese rule in 1999, it is a place where the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures remains strong. Macau, home to the 338-meter-high Macau Tower, and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Ruins of St. Paul's and A-Ma Temple, was the most popular travel destination for Chinese tourists in the first half of 2023.

"BE@RBRICK MACAU," which began in 2019, is a major art and fashion event organized by WF Fashion (World First Holdings), which operates over 250 directly managed luxury brand stores across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The venue, Galaxy Macau, is known as a world-class luxury integrated resort with one of Asia's premier shopping streets.

Patrick Fan, the founder of World First Holdings, who was interested in the rapidly growing connection between art and fashion since the 2010s, was inspired by the captivating window displays in Omotesando, Tokyo, and planned a collaboration with Medicom Toy. The decision was made to hold an exhibition prominently featuring the iconic BE@RBRICK.

At "BE@RBRICK MACAU," BE@RBRICKs designed for the event by popular brands and talented creators from around the world are exhibited annually. Since its inception, "MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY" designed by Chiharu (CIROL & Co.) has been a central focus for five consecutive years.

This year, marking its fifth anniversary, to further scale up the celebratory mood and excitement, the event is being held as part of "Art Macao", a major international cultural and art event held every two years. Art Macao, first held in 2021 under the auspices of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, aims to provide a contemporary art experience throughout the city, with the concept of "the entire city as a museum," through galleries and outdoor exhibitions. This can be described as an unprecedented branding initiative for a tourist and cultural city.

At the opening ceremony, Tatsuhiko Akashi, President and CEO of Medicom Toy, and Izumi Suga, Vice President, were invited, and a kickoff event was held with government officials. Multiple areas within the venue, Galaxy Macau – including the Pearl Lobby, Galaxy Art Gallery, GICC Auditorium, and the Outdoor Lawn – were utilized, with BE@RBRICKs displayed to leverage the characteristics of each space.

Particularly eye-catching among the exhibits is the world's first and largest MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY 10000% balloon art installation, standing approximately 7 meters tall, displayed on the outdoor lawn of Galaxy. The design motif chosen is the "Kaleidoscope" hydrangea, a Japanese variety with double petals that bloom in gradations from the center outwards, symbolizing the friendly relations between Macau and Japan.

Let's now look at this year's lineup of BE@RBRICKs. From Japan, in addition to the aforementioned MY FIRST BE@RBRICK B@BY, participants include "BLACK Scandal Yohji Yamamoto" led by Yohji Yamamoto, and "Kolor" by designer Junichi Abe, who launched his collection in Spring/Summer 2005.
Renowned brands such as America's representative "Marc Jacobs," the highly popular Parisian-chic "SANDRO," "Neil Barrett" characterized by soft silhouettes and powerful monochrome graphics, London-based colorful pop brand "MIRA MIKATI," and Italian luxury shoe brand "Giuseppe Zanotti" have unveiled their unique BE@RBRICKs.

Furthermore, this year, a BE@RBRICK was created inspired by "Senado Square," a landmark of the city. This BE@RBRICK incorporates motifs of ancient Chinese ceramics, symbolizing advanced aesthetics and venerable tradition, expressing the fusion of East and West.

In the Pearl Lobby, in addition to the aforementioned opening ceremony, a special booth was set up displaying BE@RBRICK 100% & 400%, and 1000% together. An interactive experience corner using AR filters and a Photo Kiosk corner, where visitors can take commemorative photos with BE@RBRICK photo frames and print them out to take home, have been installed.

The Galaxy Art Gallery features the creatively designed mirror room "BE@RBRICK Garden" and the immersive room "BE@RBRICK Infinity." Visitors can experience extraordinary spaces and cutting-edge digital art. Additionally, there are displays of BE@RBRICK MACAU items from 2019-2023, BE@RBRICK 1000% by Macau artists Thomas and Galaxy, the world debut of the Pinel et Pinel x Cyril Kongo BE@RBRICK digital art collection, and Karimmoku BE@RBRICKs.

In the GICC Auditorium, a talk session themed around art, fashion, and culture was held on July 31st in collaboration with the leading Chinese media outlet "SuperELLE." Five speakers representing the government, art, and fashion/culture industries took the stage. The participation of SuperELLE's AI character "Meta KOL" in the session, among others, highlights the local interest in this field.

"BE@RBRICK MACAU 2023" is being held on a larger scale than ever before, in conjunction with "Art Macao." It offers an immersive experience into the world of BE@RBRICK, utilizing vast spaces and digital technology. This is an event we highly recommend visiting if you find yourself in Macau.