The international art collective teamLab is taking immersive art to the next level. Our writer, Tom May, shares his experience of visiting their Tokyo show and why he thinks it’s a must-see when it comes to Europe.
If you’re involved in the creative world, by now you’re probably aware of the concept of the immersive art show. The idea was first popularised by Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, a show that transports visitors into the world of the Dutch master through stunning digital projections.
The main point is that rather than staring at a canvas on a wall, you basically walk through a huge, projected version of the artwork, enabling you to appreciate it and interact with it in a totally new way.
Since the Van Gogh show got everyone talking, even getting a cameo in the Netflix sitcom Emily in Paris, there have been many more, including the immersive Hockney exhibition that’s currently at Factory International in Manchester.
But in the art world, nothing stays the same for long. And so creatives across the world are constantly playing with the format of immersive art, pushing it into new and experimental directions. One such group is teamLab, an international art collective that’s working to redefine the boundaries of art.
teamLab, founded in 2001, is a collective of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects. Their work sits at the intersection of art, science, technology and the natural world. And their philosophy centres on the idea that art can create new relationships between people and the world around them.
Art that evolves
So, how is a teamLab show different from something like the Van Gogh show in practice? The key is that teamLab’s artworks are not static but constantly evolve in response to their environment and visitors.
Their ultimate aim is to create a world where art, science, technology, and nature coexist seamlessly. That might sound a bit worthy and serious, but in practice, audiences find it a whole heap of fun. Consequently, the exhibitions they’ve held so far across Japan have been hugely popular and quickly sold out.
I’m in that country right now, so I was keen to attend their latest show, teamLab Borderless, at Azabudai Hills in central Tokyo, and get a chance to “step into a world where art knows no boundaries and imagination reigns supreme”. And I’ve got to say, I was blown away.
If you’re not in Japan, why should you care? Well, the teamLab experience is currently heading to Europe, opening in Hamburg in 2025. This summer, they’ve also opened a show in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to their press material, other places in Europe, the Middle East and the US are in their sights.
In short, I’d wager a teamLab show will be coming to a city near you soon enough. So read on to find out what to expect.
Revolutionary concept
At its core, teamLab Borderless is a revolutionary concept in the world of art museums. Unlike traditional galleries where artworks are confined to frames or pedestals, the installations at Borderless flow freely from one space to another, creating a seamless, ever-changing environment.
What that means in practice is that what you see projected onto the walls one moment will be different the next. It’s not a sudden change because these artworks mainly consist of fluid, undulating, and ever-changing slices of animation. But it’s certainly true that what you see when you first enter a room may be quite different if you return to it 10 minutes later.
From a practical point of view, this can be a little troublesome. This enormous ‘gallery’ is more like a maze, and given that you’re mostly in darkness most of the time, you can quickly lose your bearings, and get separated from your loved ones.
Assuming those loved ones are not small children and can look after themselves, though, you quickly learn to embrace the chaos and submit to the fact that you don’t really know how much of the show you are missing.
Indeed, much like a festival such as Glastonbury or Boomtown, it’s logically impossible to see everything. So eventually, you just relax into a rhythm and just start to go with the flow.
Time to de-stress
That in itself is pretty unusual: how often have you been to a conventional art gallery and failed to feel any emotional response to the artwork, mainly because you’re just too stressed by other things and unable to relax into the process of enjoying art?
Indeed, in the book Four Thousand Weeks, author Oliver Burkeman author advises anyone interested in art to go to a gallery and stare at a painting for a minimum of three hours (toilet breaks being the only exception). Only then will you be able to break down your natural tendency towards distraction and truly enter the ‘zone’.
It sounds like a great idea, but inevitably, I haven’t tried it yet; life’s just always got in the way. At teamLab Borderless, though, I did manage to lose myself in the art for at least two hours, and I would have stayed for double that time if I’d had the opportunity (the show closes at 9pm).
What you can see
So, what kept me so entranced? Well, the museum features over 50 independent artworks that interact, influence, and sometimes even merge with one another. This transports you into a world of vibrant colours, mesmerising patterns, and otherworldly landscapes. As you wander through the spaces, you become an active participant in the art, with your presence and movements affecting the digital projections and light displays around you.
I found it all quite magical. Quite simply, I didn’t want to leave.
My favourite part of the show was probably The Forest of Resonating Lamps. It’s a mirrored room filled with hanging lamps that change colour in response to human presence, creating a magical, infinite space of light. Perhaps as entrancing as the exhibit itself was seeing people’s faces reflected in all the glass—lots of beaming faces, like bottled joy.
I also loved the Light Sculpture Room: This installation features over 1,000 programmable lights covering the walls, floor, and ceiling of a deep chamber. The lights create spellbinding patterns and shapes, from delicate, hair-like textures to powerful, pulsating energies. Some projections even take on recognisable forms like deities or cellular structures, making for quite the hypnotic experience.
Then there was The Mist Room, an ethereal space where you walk through sheets of mist onto which butterflies, flowers and abstract shapes are projected. The interplay of light, mist and movement creates a lovely, dreamlike atmosphere. Ever gone somewhere to relax, like a beach, and ended up more stressed than ever? This is the antidote.
Meanwhile, if you wanted to get a bit more hands-on, there was a brightly lit room with desks and paper and crayons where you could draw your own fish within a simple pre-determined template.
You then handed your drawing to a staff member, who scanned it digitally. A few moments later, in the next room, your fish would magically appear animated and swimming around in a digitally projected aquarium. If you physically stroked it, it would even do a little wriggle and speed up its swimming. As you can imagine, this was a hugely entertaining diversion, even for someone with limited drawing skills like myself.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Around every corner, there were fresh wonders to explore. For me this endless visual stimulation was both inspiring and invigorating.
It’s not all about the selfies
As you might expect, teamLab Borderless has become a huge social media phenomenon, with its kaleidoscopic visuals providing the perfect backdrop for selfies and Instagram posts. So I was worried that this might get in the way of the actual experience—you know, like when your favourite band comes on stage, and all you can see is a sea of phones. (In fact, sometimes you end up watching the entire gig through someone’s iPhone screen, despite yourself.)
When I visited teamLab Borderless, there was a bit of that. Of course, I was taking a few photos to show on this page myself, so I couldn’t exactly complain. But no one was particularly intrusive. No one hogged a space for too long before taking their shot and moving on.
My jellyfish, inspired by Creative Boom, turned into living, pulsating sealife
More generally, I found that the longer people were there, the more they put their phones in their pockets and started to actually enjoy the art. This, I’d argue, is the best review anyone could give an art exhibition.
Want a more ‘journalistic’ review? I’d describe it as a place where the lines between reality and imagination blur, where art comes alive around you, and where each visit promises new discoveries and moments of wonder. (And yes, if teamLab is reading this, you can put that on your poster.)
Meeting the brief
But the ultimate question is: Has teamLab succeeded in its aim of removing the traditional barriers between viewer and artwork?
In all honesty, I’d say not quite… but they’re well on their way. At their Borderless show, they’ve created an environment where you can literally step into the art and, to a limited extent, become an integral part of the piece itself.
Admittedly, beyond the fish drawing exercise, that interaction is still limited, and I’d love to see teamLab go further down this road in future. But that’s not so much a criticism; it’s more of just a future wish.
Ultimately, if you haven’t guessed already, I heartily recommend visiting teamLab if you’re in Japan or can make it to Jeddah or Hamburg next year. My main tip is to wear white rather than dark colours, as it’ll come out better in the photos. Also, wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Note that some rooms have mirrored floors, so women might want to consider this when choosing their outfits.
