teamLab Planets TOKYO

“Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself.” — Japanese proverb

In the midst of international lockdowns and restrictions, we have developed a new relationship with our surroundings, becoming more conscious of how we move in, around, and through space. We spent an inordinate amount of time indoors, examining nature through the veil of window panes, doorways, fire escapes, rooftops, or even through security cameras signaling the arrival of deliveries. During a period of collective anxiety as well as physical and emotional distances, we ran into an existential dilemma that asked us to consider the nature of survival whilst being entirely removed from nature. In celebration of its third anniversary, teamLab Planets TOKYO unveiled a new Garden Area with two new immersive installations. The museum located in Toyosu, Tokyo offers a unique interpretation of nature when we needed it most. The living garden reconnects us to the soil beneath our feet that never stopped evolving despite our absence.

teamLab Planets TOKYO
Courtesy of teamLab, exhibition view of teamLab Planets TOKYO, 2018, Tokyo
© teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery

Founded in 2001, teamLab is an international collective of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians, and architects at the forefront of innovation who are always seeking new ways to solve problems-that is removing the barrier between human interaction and technology. Takashi Kudo, Communications Director of teamLab suggests that the natural world isn’t only a physical place but a psychological one. “We don’t just recognize the world with our eyes and ears. It is much more physical, “ he explains. “If you really want to understand nature you should really go there. The space-it’s an installation or a live performance. We try to paint the people to be inside of the imagination of the artist.” The sophisticated methodology they employ in every artwork feels both effortless and elegant as if painting with pixels, transforming 1’s and 0’s into new varietals of colors, textures, and sensory experiences.

 

 

 

During a virtual walkthrough of teamLab Planets TOKYO, Installation Magazine was invited inside a symphonic labyrinth. Entering the first installation titled Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One, we find ourselves in a room designed with floor to ceiling and wall to wall mirrors. As we walk through the space, we experience 13,000 live orchids in a constant state of blooming and growing. As we continue on, the orchids rise in our path and create a dome space for which to step through.

 

Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One
teamLab, Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One, 2015, Interactive Kinetic Installation, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery

Witnessing an orchid bloom in mid-air is both mesmerizing and humbling as it’s a phenomena that we rarely see and up to this moment have taken for granted. Every which way we turn we bear witness to the miracle of nature, experiencing it endlessly for the first time. The continuous soundscape seems to wrap itself around our body as we explore the garden. The vibration of our beating heart, the rise and fall of our breath and the orchestral crescendo connects us to the rhythm inherent to the sea of orchids. The fantastical bloom harkens to the tradition of the Zen garden which are not only meticulously cared for but are sources of meditation. Within Floating Flower Garden we experience orchids as they change from sunrise to sunset. Visitors explore the garden barefoot as they walk through real water. The gesture physically grounds us and connects us to the life force of the fertile earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entering the Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset we find ourselves outdoors and witness a thick layer of mist rising from a rich bed of moss.  The hazy film is accentuated by the reflective surface of the oval sculptures methodically placed throughout Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms.  The viewer is encouraged to weave around each sculpture and to touch and push against the ovoids. Their weighted bottom allows them to hit either side of the spongy floor if enough force is applied and return upright nearly instantly. Just as the scent and sound of a garden changes throughout the course of a day, so too does Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms.  At sunrise the metallic exterior reflects the brilliance of the sun and vitality of the moss.  At sunset the ovoids become their own light source alternating between 61 different hues.  The interaction with the ovoids creates a resonating tone which then creates a ripple effect throughout the garden.  Each ovoid is connected to the next and so they respond to each other’s unique tonality. interconnectivity of light and sound is, as the title of the work suggests, a “microcosm” for an environment created in the most unlikely of spaces.

 

Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms- Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset, 2021
teamLab, Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset, 2021, Interactive Digital Installation, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The living gardens present a visceral, auditory, sensory and emotive encounter.  While Kudo admits that he can’t always explain where inspiration comes from, but we certainly know where to find it.  The energy and power of native to teamLab Planets TOKYO is an unexpected force of nature that invites us all to return our roots.

teamLab Planets TOKYO will be on view until the end of 2022.

 

Featured Image:

Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One
teamLab, Floating Glower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One, 2015, Interactive Kinetic Installation, Endless Sound: Hideaki Takahashi ©teamLab, Pace Gallery