World renowned US performance artist and Guinness World Record holder Bryan Berg spends 20 days in Hong Kong this July, building the Beijing Olympic Athlete Village in playing cards. The 160-hour Stackathon is held at Langham Place as part of an initiative to invigorate arts and culture in the Mong Kok district.
This is Berg's first appearance in Hong Kong. Half way through the Stackathon, an estimated 250,000+ visitors per day have visited the project. It has also appeared in over 25 Hong Kong publications, 4 local television channels, and 2 radio spots as of July 16. It has also been aired across the US and internationally, with more media coverage scheduled through the project's duration.
The project includes landmarks such as the Bird Nest stadium, the Water Cube, Beijing CCTV Tower, and Beijing TV Center. The tallest will be over 9 feet. The project also includes Berg's first use of lighting within the card buildings.
The Hong Kong event is intended to capture the spirit of the Games in Beijing. It is said that art competitions formed a key part of historic Games, and the Stackathon is a worthy test of skill and endurance, as well as a contemplation of time, speed, permanence, and impermanence. A self-taught artist, Berg uses no tape, glue, or other tricks in his work.
About Berg,
Bryan Berg broke the Guinness World Record for the World's Tallest House of Cards in 1992 at the age of seventeen, with a tower fourteen feet, six inches tall. His latest record-holding structure in the category is over twenty-five feet tall. In 2004, Guinness created a new record category for the World's Largest House of Cards to recognize a project Berg built for Walt Disney World--a replica of Cinderella's Castle. He continues to hold both records.
