The Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques (FISM) is the international organization representing magic societies worldwide. It is best known for organizing the triennial World Championship of Magic, often called the "Olympics of Magic" or "World Cup of Magic"—the most prestigious competition in the art form.
The championship brings together the world's top magicians to compete in categories including close-up, stage, manipulation, mentalism, comedy, and micromagic. The event has been held since 1948, with the 28th championship scheduled for Busan, South Korea in July 2028.
Chinese-American magician Eric Chien made history at the 2018 FISM World Championships in Busan, South Korea, becoming the first Asian magician to win the Grand Prix in the close-up category. His six-minute act, simply called "Ribbon," featured cards, a ribbon, and coins with rapid-fire color changes, vanishes, and transformations.
The performance went viral among magic practitioners, with YouTubers slowing down the footage to analyze his techniques. Penn & Teller invited Chien onto their show Fool Us in 2021, admitting they had studied the "Ribbon" routine frame by frame. Teller described Chien as "a virtuoso" with "a staggering variety of methods at warp speed."
See also: /teos/rec/arts/magic/magic-in-movies - Coverage of magic in cinema including Now You See Me and The Prestige.
[1] FISM Official - World Championship
[2] FISM Winners List - Magicpedia
[3] Eric Chien FISM Ribbon - South China Morning Post (uploaded as "Chinese magician performs world's best magic trick")
[4] Texas Monthly - The Young Magician Planning to Make History