Japan's teamLab Planets' immersive art exhibition a must-visit in Tokyo

TOKYO, June 24 — When renowned international art collective teamLab installed their first major outdoor exhibition in Malaysia’s LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre last year, many including myself were spellbound by the fantastic lighting extravaganza it offered.

But of course, a teamLab installation is much more than just a musical light show.

Fast-forward to 2023 and I finally got the opportunity to experience teamLab Planets which is an immersive, full-body interactive museum in Tokyo this month.

For first-time visitors to the museum, it is advisable to wear simple attire and footwear as you will be going barefoot while experiencing the various artwork and installations with others.

At teamLab Planets Tokyo, most of the artwork changes with the presence of people as the art collective seeks to mesh art with technology through interactive LEDs, projections and soundscapes.

Separated into two sections — namely the Water and Garden areas — visitors begin their journey by being introduced to the Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline artwork.

Artwork titled ‘Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline’. — Picture by teamLab Planets TOKYO, Tokyo© teamLab

Based on an earlier work on a natural waterfall in the mountains of Shikoku, the sound of running water and reflective illumination while being in complete darkness will definitely overwhelm your senses upon entry.

Through the combination of shining particles that leave a light trail afterimage which appears to draw lines in space, a waterfall of light is born that seemingly beckons visitors towards a pillar of light amidst the gaping void.

Moving forward, visitors will enter the second artwork titled Soft Black Hole — Your Body Becomes a Space that Influences Another Body.

As you step into this space, you sink as the walking surface is ever-changing because of the weight of others, thus the name of the artwork.

According to teamLab, this installation is to remind us of the body that we have forgotten in everyday life, and to make us more conscious of our body mass.

The third artwork is considered one of the crème de la crème of teamLab’s work here, as an interactive light sculpture through the use of light-emitting diodes (LED) creates one of the most bedazzling and mesmerising displays.

Titled The Infinite Crystal Universe, LEDs hanging like chandeliers transport visitors to the expanse of the universe as the light sculptures mimic a space voyager traversing through the space and the stars.

Artwork titled ‘The Infinite Crystal Universe’. — Picture by teamLab Planets TOKYO, Tokyo© teamLab

Once you approach the artwork, teamLab’s signature magic happens and you are enveloped by an overwhelming sense of awe.

The fourth artwork requires visitors to get their feet wet in the work titled Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People — Infinity.

Here, computer-rendered kois or carps swim on the surface of water that stretches out into infinity where their movement and trajectory is influenced by the presence of people.

Artwork titled 'Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People — Infinity'. — Picture by teamLab Planets TOKYO, Tokyo© teamLab

When one remains stationary, kois that “collide” will turn into flowers and scatter. Since the artwork is rendered in real-time, it is neither pre-recorded nor on a loop as every visual encounter can never be replicated.

With visitors influencing continuous changes in the artwork with their movement, one begins to ponder whether everything exists in a long, fragile yet miraculous, borderless continuity.

As part of their exclusive summer project, the aforementioned artwork will be transformed into a space of blooming sunflowers. This will take place from July 1 until July 31.

The fifth artwork titled Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers takes visitors on a journey where art blends seamlessly with technology as seasonal flowers bloom and wither in a real-time computer rendered image.

Artwork titled 'Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers'. — Picture by teamLab Planets TOKYO, Tokyo© teamLab

Either lie down or sit still in the dome-shaped space while basking in the ever-changing visuals where one seeks to transcend the perceptions of the relationship between the self and the world; and of the continuity of time.

Due to renovation works, the Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space — Flattening 3 Colours and 9 Blurred Colours, Free Floating installation is temporarily closed until June 30 so I did not get to experience it.

The first Garden Area artwork entitled Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms — Solidified Light Colour, Sunrise and Sunset is one best experienced either during dawn or dusk.

As the sun rises and sets in the mirrored space, the ovoids reflect the world around them and emit a resonating sound when it is pushed by a person or influenced by the elements of weather.

During the day, a veil of mists shrouds the installed ovoids at the moss garden; while the silver-coloured ovoids would shine by themselves by sunset in an array of vivid colours reflected by the mirrored space.

With over 13,000 living orchids suspended from the ceiling and a mirrored floor, the second Garden Area artwork entitled Floating Flower Garden; Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One is a floating flower garden symbolising tranquility and resilience.

Engulfed by the plants’ aromas and composer Hideaki Takahashi’s otherworldly soundscape, the flowers — growing along near-invisible wires when observed closely — will float up to create new spaces for visitors to explore albeit at a pace dictated by the flowers.

The art collective hopes visitors can explore the orchids’ symbolism as they immerse themselves in the flowers, becoming one with the garden.

Formed in 2001, teamLab features an interdisciplinary group of various specialists such as artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, and the natural world.

It has held numerous exhibitions worldwide, including New York, London and Paris as well as large scale permanent exhibitions in Shanghai, Macau and Singapore.

More details can be accessed here.