teamLab's Borderless Museum: Interactive, Innovative Art in Tokyo

TeamLab's Borderless Art Museum

teamLab: Microcosmoses (tentative title) ©teamLab
teamLab is a digital art unit based in Japan whose interactive art displays have won the hearts of fans from all over the world.

teamLab's first permanent exhibition and museum, the MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless is temporarily closed and will reopen on February 9, 2024, in Tokyo's Azabudai Hills. The location will feature a series of new exhibits besides the previous ones.

If you wish to enjoy the art of teamLab in Tokyo before the reopening of Borderless, consider visiting the teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM, their art museum located in Toyosu.

Highlights of the MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless

Mori Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless ©teamLab

The museum is a large-scale 3D space created with 520 computers and 470 projectors. The exhibition is composed of five worlds: Borderless World, teamLab Athletics Forest, Future Park, Future of Lamps, and EN Tea House.

There is also plenty of innovative artwork on display here in these exhibits. For example, visitors can receive tea at EN Tea House, and a digital flower will bloom and grow on its surface.

Read on to learn about the features and highlights of the MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless. After the museum's reopening in early February 2024, we will update this article with information on the new exhibits.

1. Borderless World

The order of the art that visitors see is random at Borderless World. Here, it will appear that the themes of the artwork vary from piece to piece, but all the artwork is interactive and influences each other.

As a result, there are no borders between each piece of artwork, and sometimes they may even blend together. There is also no boundary between the viewer and the artwork, so museum-goers will feel like they have become part of the art exhibit.

One of the most notable pieces in the museum is the Universe of Water Particles on a Rock Where People Gather.

When you face the Rock Where People Gather there will be an endlessly flowing waterfall. Due to the changing colors and the threads of light, the artwork will sometimes appear very vibrantly, while at other times the water will flow calmly. You will feel moved by this piece, no matter what angle you view it from.

The Way of the Sea in the Crystal World was another highlight for our writer.

In this space, the background music and light effects go so well together that you’ll feel as if you’ve traveled into a crystal world. Visitors won’t even know where they are standing at times, due to the large quantities of reflective mirrors installed into the exhibit.

The Flower Forest: Lost, Immerse, and Reborn is an area recommended for those who love flowers. The flowers will fully and brilliantly bloom like jewels when visitors stand still. On the other hand, when you touch or walk close by them, the flowers are designed to flutter around.

Picture courtesy of teamLab

Another installation not to miss is the projection on the walls of the stairs going to the second floor. Climb the stairs one step at a time and the artwork will move as if it is chasing after you.

2. teamLab Athletics Forest

The concept of this area is understanding the world physically and thinking of the world three-dimensionally. In this complex three-dimensional space, visitors use their physical and psychological senses.

The Light Forest Three-Dimensional Bouldering is a 3D space where guests climb onto sparkling boulders and move forward in mid-air. To continue moving, place your hands and feet on the sparkling boulders that are the same colors as what you are holding. Your surroundings will react and begin to shine in the same colors.

As the positions of all participants are supervised with sensors, it is safe and there is almost no chance of colliding with other people.

The light objects in this installation move against gravity. There are both objects on the ground and objects floating in mid-air, defying gravity. Touch one of the light objects and it will react by playing music or changing colors.

3. Learn at a Futuristic Amusement Park

This area has been prepared as an educational project with the concept of collaborative creativity and creation. Both children and adults can freely create and contribute to this area.

Picture courtesy of teamLab

The Sketch Aquarium is an installation that has been popular for some time. Visitors will first draw a creature of their liking and color it in. Once finished, museum-goers will scan their sketch and it will be projected onto the screen of the aquarium.

Having the artwork you’ve drawn come alive is an experience like no other!

Picture courtesy of teamLab

Different types of fruits are grown on the slide at the Slide and Learn! Fruit Field area. Here, visitors act as the sunlight. The seeds and fruits will grow large when you collide with the fruits.

4. Forest of Lamps

Stand near the lamps and they will shine brightly and echo with sound.

Picture courtesy of teamLab

This forest of lamps scene may be familiar to some guests, as it resembles Lantern Festivals held in Japan and other countries. This area has mirrors on the ground, making for an even more impressive view due to the reflection.

5. EN TEA HOUSE

EN TEA HOUSE is a tea house in a completely darkened space. Here you will choose your favorite drink before entering. The tea house has a selection of yuzu green tea, green tea, hojicha (roasted green tea) latte, and other items.

An employee at the tea house will pour your tea into a clear cup. Our writer ordered the hojicha latte, and when the staff member finished pouring the latte, a flower made of light rose to the latte's surface.

The flowers will also move along with your movements and will bloom on your tabletop when you move spots. Sip your tea and enjoy the sight of these endlessly blooming flowers.

Experience an Interactive and New Art Space

The information we encounter in modern life is mainly two-dimensional content acquired from books, computers, and smartphones. teamLab, a company creating interactive spaces where people communicate, experience, and create installations through art, is expecting your visit.

Visit the museum and you’ll find that the exhibitions are worth more than the price you pay for the ticket; the museum is full of art that you will want to see again.

TeamLab Borderless

1-3-8 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064 2nd floor, Odaiba Palette Town

* This article was translated and revised from an article originally in traditional Chinese.