MGM staging interactive exhibition for festive season

As part of MGM Macau’s 10th anniversary celebration, MGM Art Space is announcing a new “artistic experience” designed as an interactive digital domain geared towards families.

In collaboration with the creative minds behind teamLab, the casino operator is inviting families to visit “Learn & Play! teamLab Future Park” over the Christmas and Chinese New Year holiday season and to immerse themselves in the interactive spaces.

The exhibition features three main interactive areas, the first of which is a ‘sketch town’ displayed on a giant screen at the center of the MGM Art Space.

The dynamic town is built out of the drawings that each visitor creates. Using special paper, guests can color a picture of a vehicle or building. The picture is then scanned and brought to life on the big screen.

Two filters of the ‘sketch town’ will be used throughout the exhibition; a Christmas ‘Santa delivery’ at the exhibition’s launch, followed by a ‘futuristic’ version at a later date.

Pictures drawn by guests can also be transformed into 3D paper crafts to take home. The process of creating multi-dimensional objects helps children understand space and perspective, according to a statement from MGM China, which helps to break down digital and physical barriers.

Also featured in the exhibition is a light ball orchestra comprised of giant ball-shaped objects that change their color when touched.  At the same time, signal sounds will be played through a loudspeaker. Organizers describe it as the “perfect photoshoot opportunity”.

The third component is “Graffiti Nature”, an interactive digital installation that allows visitors to experience their self-made creatures within a living ecosystem that reacts to the balance of wildlife. Flowers blossom where visitors stand, attracting butterflies, which may in turn be eaten by the system’s carnivores.

“It is about creativity but also following the logic of a real ecosystem,” said Christina Kuok, director of Arts and Culture Development at MGM China.

Kuok adds that the exhibition provides children with an array of experiences, including an interactive simulation of an ecosystem and the chance to explore their creativity and coordination.

“From day one when we started Art Space, the objective has always been to bring a variety of experiences [to guests] and to promote creativity and cultural development in Macau and also around us,” she said. “The digital experience also teaches young children about spatial awareness, coordination, color and creativity. It encompasses quite a lot of things.”

The exhibition, which is ticketed to avoid overcrowding, is open from today until February 28. Admission is free for children aged two and under.