Tākina , a new international exhibition centre, which has been under construction since 2019, has opened in the capital, Wellington.
To accommodate events for various companies and organizations from Japan and abroad, there is an 18,000 square meter exhibition space spread over three floors, and there are a total of 10,000 square meters of adjustable-sized meeting rooms.
The first exhibition has now started at the brand new Tākina.
What was your first exhibition?
The first exhibition to be held was about LEGO, the plastic building toys from Denmark that are popular among a wide range of people in New Zealand, and it was themed around Jurassic World.
This exhibit was planned over two years by Australian Ryan McNaught (aka Brickman), one of only 21 LEGO certified designers in the world, and his team, who wanted to recreate the world of Jurassic World as faithfully as possible. 50 giant-sized dinosaurs, plants, cars, and more are all made of LEGO. It took a year to complete, and more than 6 million LEGO pieces were used.
The Brickman team also worked with Universal Pictures, the production company of the movie, to recreate the Jeep Wrangler that appeared in the movie, with attention to detail such as the license plate and speedometer that were the same as in the movie.
The exhibit that was created pushes the limits of Lego, and at first glance seems impossible to recreate with Lego.
said McNaught.
Of course, it's not just about looking!
Lego is meant to be tangible, and not being able to touch it is pure torture.
As McNaught commented, it's painful for Lego fans to just look at the assembled Lego sets...!
That means there are about 2.5 million LEGO pieces available for visitors to use.
There are corners throughout the exhibition where you can build all sorts of things. There is even an area for children under the age of three. Lego has many small pieces and many of its products are suitable for older children, but in this area even small children can have fun.
There are also some very sturdy dinosaurs, including a reproduction of Blue and Delta, two of the four Kiraptor sisters from the Jurassic World series, that you can touch directly.
By the way, all exhibits are designed to be held at multiple venues. The assembled Lego can be disassembled into pieces that can be transported and reassembled at the new venue. It takes about two weeks to reassemble. I hope it will be held in Japan too!
Adults saved by Lego
The Doc Edge Film Festival 2023, a documentary film festival, is currently being held in Auckland. Lego-related works are also being exhibited here.
Dan Mulholland, a medical team member of the New Zealand Army, was deployed to tsunami-hit Papua New Guinea at the age of 17, the youngest at the time. After returning to Japan, he worked as an emergency medical technician for many years, but suddenly suffered from mental illness and was diagnosed with PTSD.
Dan, who was unable to leave his house, was helped by LEGO and the friends he connected with online through LEGO. He says that playing with LEGO was a great source of healing and a great help in his treatment.
"Big Kids" is a short documentary film about adults who love Lego, and it centers around Dan's story.
I feel so at ease when I sit in the comfort of my own room and spend my time building LEGO, and it helps me to free myself from anxiety.
said Dan.
With the support of LEGO, Dan currently runs the Brick -by-Brick® programme, which treats developmental disabilities such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), LD (Learning Disability), and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) not as disabilities but as "Neurodiversity" - brain diversity - and enables people with developmental disabilities to strengthen their connections with others and society through the community using LEGO .
