teamLab: Tokyo’s Newest Tradition

One attraction which has recently become synonymous with both Tokyo and tourism is the teamLab exhibition located in Odaiba. Popular with locals and tourists alike, as well as celebrities such as Miranda Kerr and, of course, myself, teamLab has become, almost, an overnight phenomenon. Gone are the days when tourists would land at Narita airport, hit up Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ueno (as great as those places undoubtedly are) and board the first bullet train to Kyoto, Hiroshima or wherever. Instead, the masses are also choosing to flock to a slightly out-of-town art museum. But why? Entitled ‘Borderless,’ the digital artwork on show seamlessly blends both the observer and artwork with the self, not only viewing spectacular works of art but, also, becoming a part of the work itself.

As you walk around the exhibits, you find that they’re constantly changing. Flowers appear to be blowing in the wind; petals are falling around you and people emerge from the light, as if from nowhere – camouflaged by the artwork around them. A dream, really, if you love creeping up on people in the darkness but your worst nightmare if you’ve ever seen the wrong end of a dark alley. The best thing about the exhibits – they’re constantly being updated. No matter how many times you go, you’ll never see the same thing twice.

Floor to ceiling crystals in the Crystal World give the impression that you’re walking in a valley of riches. The mirrored floors provide the sense that the suspended crystals will go on forever below you and like Alice, you’ve had your feet taken from you as you fall into a foreign labyrinth. That is, until, you look directly down and the mirrors are projecting right up the inside of your shorts. Not to fear, ladies. Or gents. The gallery will provide you with special protective pants if you’ve chosen to wear a skirt on the day.

Can you see the Ulsterman below? No? Didn’t think so. Camouflage!

Below is one of the exhibition’s more impressive exhibits with the snappy title of Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather. Erm, yeah. Arguably one of the more interactive exhibits, vegetation and water are alive around you, where you can perch on a rock and watch nature run it’s course. Perhaps when you enter, the meadows won’t have bloomed yet but if you wait for a few minutes amongst the selfie sticks and smorgasbord of languages around you, you’ll find an ever changing scene. And if you’re lucky, maybe even a moment of solitude.

Unsurprisingly, the light show attracted a lot of young people – some of whom looked like they’d fairly recently stumbled out of one involving much more alcohol. There are an array of displays on offer though, from fit-inducing to others which make you feel like you’re slipping into a tranquil but mild coma. There’s no Marshmello blasting through the Bose but the music and light mash-ups lend to an almost out-of-body experience.

The Memory of Topography below was one of my favourite exhibits, personally. What is actually a very small space, is made to look like an endless field of vegetation. What seem like dozens of people milling amongst giant white and blue lily-pads are, perhaps, only a dozen. This sort of trickery would be particularly useful in my Japanese apartment, where there’s barely room for me to swing my big bag of sake Kit-Kats around.

Nothing to see here. Just some giant balls.

Is this, potentially, the world’s coolest climbing course?

For the big kids out there, there’s an absolutely killer slide. This one probably isn’t available for hire at birthday parties, unfortunately, but that’s the price you pay for being able to slide through an interactive meadow. Speaking of kids, if you feel like the numerous psychedelic-esque exhibits on display won’t keep them occupied, you can take them to the kid’s area below to keep them entertained. Or leave them there. Your choice…

teamLab can be accessed in just 20 minutes by train from central Tokyo. Take either the Rinkai Line to the futuristically named Tokyo Teleport Station or the scenic Yurikamome Line to Aomi Station. From both stations, the exhibition can be accessed in a few minutes on foot.