Where’s Wally? Makes Its First Hong Kong Debut in a Special Exhibition

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 

Happiness is just a simple game of hide-and-seek. From July 9 to August 9, 2015, Harbour City held the first major exhibition of Wally, turning the Ocean Terminal Open Plaza into a Wally wonderland through giant artistic installations. The event featured the first public display of original artwork loaned by author Martin Handford, as well as a custom Mini Cooper from the iconic British car brand designed specifically for Wally and his friends. Together, they transformed Harbour City into a magical world of Wally, inviting everyone to rediscover the pure joy of happiness.

The Where's Wally? exhibition at the Ocean Terminal Open Plaza presented "Wally’s Lost Paradise." After traveling through book worlds for 28 years, Wally has leapt out of the pages and landed at Harbour City. The exhibition featured 48 Wally models, each with unique expressions and poses, bringing the entire series of books to life in three dimensions and creating a special “Wally Nation” at Harbour City. In addition to giant storybook scenes where visitors can search for Wally while resting, the event also unveiled the globally exclusive “Wally’s Secret Workshop.” This recreated author Martin Handford’s actual desk, showcasing precious original artwork of Wally scenes, unpublished drafts submitted to publishers, childhood creations, and more—offering an inside look at how Wally was brought to life. The full collection of 72 Wally story scenes was also on display, immersing visitors in Wally’s whimsical universe.

During the exhibition period, the Harbour City Art Gallery also set up a limited-time Where's Wally? pop-up booth. In addition to jigsaw puzzles, books, and other merchandise flown in from the UK for sale, there were also exclusive limited-edition items created especially for this exhibition. The highlight was the licensed toys of Wally and his dog Woof. The Where's Wally? licensed toys are rare in the market, and these versions feature Wally with multiple joints that allow for flexible movement and various poses—sure to delight Wally fans and toy collectors alike. Additionally, Wally collaborated with British Mini Cooper to create a crossover experience in the basement corridor of Gateway Mall, forming a “Where's Wally? X Mini Cooper Happy Track.” Five specially customized Mini Coopers were designed to match five different scenes, as Wally and friends set off from Harbour City to join visitors in a fun-filled adventure.