Kevin Poon chats VISTY PLAYGROUND @ Pacific Place

Adding to this impressive portfolio, Kevin is also involved in creating VISTY PLAYGROUND @ Pacific Place — a family-friendly, immersive experience that brings Japanese graphic artist VERDY’s vision to life in an interactive way. The artist’s work has become synonymous with Tokyo’s urban culture, and popular across the world through projects such as Girls Don’t Cry, Wasted Youth and his VICK and VISTY characters.

At Pacific Place Garden Court until 27 October, 2024, visitors can dive into a vibrant carnival-themed playground designed to engage the senses, and discover an exclusive range of VISTY-themed merchandise curated by Kevin alongside VERDY. The Style Sheet sat down with Kevin to learn more about his role in the project, his love of art and what else is exciting him at the moment.

What excites you about collaborating with VERDY?

Aside from being a friend of mine for a long time, VERDY in my mind stands as a symbol of youth culture in Asia. His work captures an indomitable spirit that has always been present in my world as a powerful marker of modern culture. And as we’re both new dads, the positive outlook and family-friendly elements of his latest endeavours really resonate with me.

Can you tell us about your role with VISTY PLAYGROUND @ Pacific Place?
Putting pieces and people together is a major part of what excites me. So, when the opportunity to work with Pacific Place came up, I immediately thought of VERDY. We really wanted to create something that would be engaging for all, and our thoughts always went back to our kids, which is how we got to VISTY PLAYGROUND. We wanted to make something special that we can show our kids and offer something exciting for other parents to enjoy with their families.

What exclusive elements can visitors expect to find at VISTY PLAYGROUND?

Firstly, family fun comes in the form of VISTY’s ball pit. You definitely can’t miss that. You can also capture your memories with the VISTY PLAYGROUND photobooth and take home a piece of limited-edition merchandise at the Gift Shop. Meanwhile, Elephant Grounds at Pacific Place will be serving VISTY-themed coffee cups and ice cream.

Who are some of your favourite artists you’ve worked with, and are there any artists you’re excited to work with in the future?

I’ve worked with a lot of artists over the years, so it’s difficult to choose any favourites. Each experience has been memorable in its own way. But I’ve wanted to work with VERDY on something for a while. This experience of bringing VISTY PLAYGROUND to life at Pacific Place has been extremely rewarding. Seeing it from conception to production, I’ve been able to experience his process and relate to what drives him. Also, rendering the VISTY character at such a large scale is the biggest installation my production agency has ever executed.

Can you tell us more about Billionaire Boys Club/ICECREAM, which recently launched at Pacific Place?

It’s a seminal streetwear brand, and I’m honoured to be part of establishing and further cementing the brand in Hong Kong. We recently opened the newest flagship at Pacific Place, and we’re excited about what we have in store. For the opening, we launched our collaborative release with Tyson Yoshi, and we have an array of offerings with exciting collaborations in the works.

What else is exciting you at the moment?

I’m looking into an understanding of ‘new retail’. In simpler terms, how can we provide people with better experiences that go beyond the consumerism we’re used to? Also, right now, health and mindfulness are at the forefront of my mind. I’ve been really focused on my personal fitness and enjoying the mental clarity it brings.

VISTY PLAYGROUND @ Pacific Place is open at Garden Court until October 27, 2024, with the Gift Shop nearby at Level L1 (near lululemon). For more information, see here.