“You have to keep a child's soul”: Lego®, a real social phenomenon under the eye of Gilles Roux, a passionate Gardois

Gilles Roux, président d'Artofbrick : “Notre but consiste à construire nos propres créations.” MIDI LIBRE – ALEXIS BETHUNE

The president of Artofbrick looks at a societal but also commercial issue on the sidelines of his exhibition, the Lego Expo, which is being held on 11 and 12 January near Alès.

This weekend, Saint-Privat-des-Vieux is hosting a new edition of the Lego® Expo, supported by the local association Artofbrick (read below). Meeting with President Gilles Roux to discuss a world of small bricks and yellow characters that still fascinate.

How long have you been in Lego® ?

(Laughs) We started in 2014 with Artofbrick; we are a group of enthusiasts, we are all about the same age. We are called the Afols, an acronym that means “Adults fan of Lego®”. When we were little, we played with it and we all more or less kept our boxes in the attics. And when we had children, we took them out again and fell back into it. But for me, it's a little different. I work in the schools of Saint-Privat and the day I made some available to children, in 2013, there was an impact. Working in a daycare, when we empty the box and the sound of the little bricks, I notice that the children all gather together…

So, is it a children's or an adults' thing ?

(Laughs) First of all, it must be said that the brand is very strong because it plays on both! In fact, Lego® is intended for big kids. You have to keep a child's soul…

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We even now talk about “Kidults” (a mix of abbreviations of the English terms kids and adults meaning children and adults, Editor's note). Does this reflect a social fact? ?

This is the consequence of what we have seen in recent years with themes that refer to what we knew in the 80s and that we are trying to find again. Here again, the brand is very strong because it buys licenses and we, adults, find ourselves there. I see it in our meetings! I see exhibitors who present creations based on old cartoons. For example, this weekend, one of them will unveil a scene imagined from “Jayce and the Conquerors of Light”.

What do you think of articles intended for over 18s? ?

That is to give satisfaction to parents, so that they can say that their children are strong. But all children are capable of following a plan! In fact, it’s marketing; Lego® is trying to attract adults. In fact, they’re soon going to release a €999.99 item that will be the Death Star from “Star Wars.” For adults, the models are distinguished by their black packaging. But our goal, within the association, is to build our own creations. And that’s very much, 99%, what we’ll see during the show this weekend…

Dinosaurs, stars of the 11th edition

The meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, January 11 and Sunday, January 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the sports hall of Saint-Privat-des-Vieux, near Alès, for the 11th edition of the Lego Expo by Artofbrick (entrance: €4). The theme chosen this year is based on dinosaurs and the Jurassic period. “With a specific decoration”, specifies Gilles Roux, the president of the association. “We have completely transformed the room.” So, inside, about ten meters of ground are dedicated to this theme and Artofbrick even presents its T-Rex head. And outside, the Dinopedia Parc lends the organizers some of its specimens so that they can exhibit them. "And then, each exhibitor brings their own little touch on dinosaurs", smiles Gilles Roux. Around fifty exhibitors will be present, alongside the sponsor of this opus, the visual artist and photographer Samsofy, for signing sessions during these two days on his stand. In 2024, the Lego® Expo had attracted “between 4,000 and 5,000 visitors”.

Is it better to choose the so-called classic Lego® or the “Technic” ones? ?

Everyone has their own universe! Lego® Technic is a different type of box; you can play with the motors. In fact, we'll be using a lot of them for next year's exhibition because the theme will be GBC, for “Great ball contraption”. These are large circuits on which balls move.

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