Tokyo’s Digital Art Museum Pt 1
MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM teamLab Borderless. What a name, right? On a recent trip to Japan I went to the Digital Art Museum in Odaiba, Tokyo. This insta worthy museum opened on June 21st, 2018. With a bunch of hype online I knew I had to check it out. This is the tweet that won me over.
Loving immersive digital art and interested in what we can do with it in the museum sector I’ve been following the work of teamLab for a while. However, to see their digital art in person was on a whole other level.
So, what is it? It’s two levels of interactive digital art. There’s no map, there’s minimal signage and you are encouraged to explore. It’s called borderless for a reason.
To the left of the Odaiba Daikanransha Ferris Wheel entry you walk into a brightly lit black foyer with a maze of bollards. There were no lines so I walked straight through and was asked to read a panel which outlined some safety regulations and an encouragement to take photos and videos. Other than the cautions and an intro to teamLab there was only one other instruction outlined in large text on the back wall...
Obviously I was super excited and once a few other visitors had gathered, a staff member began an introduction in Japanese, holding up laminated flashcards in English. They looked bored which straight away extinguished my excitement. The museum hasn’t even been open a month, and the staff already seemed over it?! Why no digital introduction or multi lingual digital text rather than small worn cards?
We were ushered inside, passing through some black curtains and emerged into a digital forest. The excitement came straight back! Every surface was projected on and as you moved through the labyrinth of butterflies, flowers and seasons the world reacted.
The Flower Forest, as I would learn, was the heart of the lower floor. This forest seemed to be influenced by both digital and human elements. As visitors or digital creatures moved across the floor and walls the world reacted in different ways. It was a living, breathing digital artwork. The projection cycle, which seemed to change with seasons, created a garden of endless life. I later learned that this installation is based off Kunisaki Peninsula mountains in spring where,
“Rather than nature and humans being in conflict, a healthy ecosystem is one that includes people.” (teamLab Borderless Flower Forest)
Whilst this isn’t explicit in the exhibition (I read it on the train on the way home) it definitely delivered the intended message.
It took a few moments to take in the museum and as I adjusted I found the entrance to another artwork. The entrances are not always obvious and can be easily missed, marked only by black curtains and occasionally by the installation title. These subtle marks act as portals of sorts into different worlds and as soon as you walk through, the space is transformed into a completely new captivating environment. Yet, as you exit individual artworks you are always brought back to the heart that connects them, the Flower Forest.
My first discovery was the Light Sculpture Space - a huge mirrored square room, filled with fog and rows of lights up the walls and ceiling. These are choreographed to create the illusion of 3 dimensional objects. This deception was clearly convincing because visitors were standing with their back against the walls. If they moved closer to the centre of the mirrored floor they only did so for a second and then (possibly) feeling they were intruding on the artwork, moved back.
The next space I stumbled upon was Universe of Water Particles, the virtual waterfall which you would have seen shared via social media. However, the waterfall was not the thing I loved in this area, it was the walls surrounding it that drew my attention. It was at this point that I realised everything in this space could be manipulated. So I skipped the beautifully organised line of young insta models waiting to get their photo at the waterfall and started interacting with the characters that were falling on the other 3 walls.
This was one of my favourite moments. As soon as I ‘touched’ a falling character there was an immediate cause and effect reaction. If I interacted with two characters something bigger happened, and then if I hit three the whole environment of the room changed. This was ace because I had a chance to experiment whilst no one else was interacting with the art.
The next space I uncovered was Cave Universe which was definitely the most stunning and equally nauseating space. When finding this corridor I immediately understood the google review that cautioned, “… do not come hungover, you will die”. The space is a large geometric corridor off the Flower Forest and unlike the others it isn’t hidden behind a curtain. If you step inside the corridor you are completely immersed, as long as all your senses are facing forward. I stood towards the back of the cave. The work begins as a murder of crows take off. The floor dissolves and the light trails of the crows are your only sense of direction as they zoom around manipulating the geometric cave to create the sensation of flight. The crows twist and turn and so does the whole projection, allowing the viewer to watch from a point-of-view perspective as part of the murder (very excited to use this in context). The crows also fly into each other and into visitors standing in the space and when this happens they explode into flowers. The swell of the music track throughout the flight is magnificent. Hear for yourself...
The trance is lost as soon as you turn around and see the forest moving behind you. After standing in the cave for one cycle I had to step back. Whilst astonishing and easily my favourite manipulation of digital technology EVER, I could feel my head intensely yelling get out whilst my heart wanted to stay.
Turning around I found a series of creatures walking along the wall covered in flowers. As I reached out to each form, the flowers fell and revealed the animal beneath. On noticing these Animals of Flowers I realised they were camouflaged throughout the Flower Forest and at times would lead you to the other well hidden artworks. The exhibition is truly borderless with artworks interacting with each other across walls, mirrors and rooms. The crows exploding into flowers is an example of this. There is no end and no beginning, only cycles and these loops never truly seem to repeat in exactly the same pattern.
Memory of Typography was my next discovery and it was enchanting. I walked in through a very narrow passage of tall, thin sticks with circular light projections on the ceiling. You can’t quite see the the end of the narrow passage but as you get there you realise that you’ve been walking beneath a canopy of rice plants. As you emerge you’re above the leaves, looking out upon an illusion of infinity rice fields created by mirrored walls.
What is so awesome about these infinity mirror spaces (which are not uncommon by any means) is the soundscape that accompanies them. Sounds echo and reverb through the rooms adding to the sense of infinity. I swear there was wind blowing in this space too, however that may have been a sensation created by the projections or rice plant sculptures moving as visitors walked through. The seasons changed in this space multiple times as I watched. From summer fireflies to intense rain, the sounds mimicking these environments was so perfect it gave me goosebumps.
Black Wave was the next installation. This artwork features repeating Hokusai-style waves. It was not interactive but my goodness was it hypnotic. The beanbags in this space were occupied so I watched and waited, but no one moved. Everyone was completely comfortable sitting in this space for hours watching the waves crash around them. When I come back (and I will) I want to spend more time here.
Next I went to the Forest of Resonating Lamps. This was one of the two rooms that had a queue and the exploration was rushed. I was really looking forward to this but due to two reasons I was disappointed. Firstly, I had less that 5 minutes in this space before I was asked to move on. I don’t think I saw even a quarter of a cycle of the lights changing. Secondly, as I was exiting I saw a detailed didactic that outlined the pathway to take in this space to get a full sense of immersion. As I entered I had moved to a corner so I could get a feel of the space without being distracted by others. I’m super disappointed I didn’t see this pathway before entering. However, it seems that no one knew because no other visitors were following this suggested path. Although curiosity and exploration is encouraged, if there is an optimal way to view an artwork and you’re rushing your audience forward, inform them first, pretty please.
I also found many other artworks. Of mention is the Crystal World, a maze-like room with string lights and mirrors. My favourite loop in this space was the light speed effect. I felt like I was in the helm of the Millennium Falcon. I discovered one room filled with dancing ghosts with no one in it, which may be a miracle. I also queued for the Floating Nest experience which I would describe as a enclosed version of Cave Universe viewed as you lounge in a giant rope nest. Again, because it was busy I left after a few minutes so I didn’t have time to get comfortable before I was asked to move on.
I really wanted to experience En Tea House but it had a long line every time I walked past so I decided to save it until last. This was a huge mistake as the last sitting was at 8.30 pm and I missed it. You can imagine my sad face but here’s a video from teamLab so you live in envy with me.
Within these projection covered walls there no instance where an installation is attempting to be life-like. It is, what it is — a showcase of digital innovation and artistic feet. Aside from the cutting edge interactive and immersive digital art, what I love about MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM teamLab Borderless is how it upholds key themes of Japanese culture. The balance between nature and human influence and cycles of seasons and life are perfectly celebrated in this borderless world.
Is this another instagramable museum? This is definitely the most instagramable museum I’ve ever visited. So much so that at times it was difficult to find a visitor exploring without their phone out. I also couldn’t help but giggle at some of the super glamorous and model-esque poses I observed as well as some very patient partners and friends. However, this may be because I visited in the evening with a mostly 20-something audience and hardly any families and children.
That said, it’s a visually captivating space which creates individual artwork as you interact with it, so why wouldn’t you want to capture that. I can’t say I’m not guilty of the same thing. I took a bunch of photos. We even tried a little parody photo shoot but I couldn’t keep a straight face (see left).
Most importantly, whilst many Japanese museums insist on a strict no photography policy, this exhibition encourages photos and documentation of your experience. TeamLab know their audience and how to target them through social media marketing so of course they’re going to encourage the sharing of their art.
Lastly, a few disappointments
- This is not an accessible space which, as a a brand new museum, is extremely disappointing. The booking website stipulated the following:
“Since the facility is very different from the normal environment, no pets (including guide dogs) are allowed to enter…It is possible to enter with a wheelchair, but only to teamLab Borderless (It is not possible to enter some areas of teamLab Borderless). Electric wheel chairs are not permitted due to load bearing capacity…People in wheelchairs cannot enter the Athletic Area.” (teamLab Borderless Access)
- Whilst I did see only a few children exploring, there were quite a few restrictions on the lower floor — don’t touch this, walk don’t run, don’t be loud etc. There are kid specific activities in the upper level that are perfect. To me the lower level seemed more like an adult playground and very young children may not have the patience to watch and wait as the artworks cycle.
- Some staff interacting with visitors just didn’t seem happy to be there. I kept thinking of the young artsy stereotype — it’s not cool to be excited, everything has to be lame. Get pumped kids! Model behaviour, take some pointers from Disney. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but just don’t look bored.
- It wasn’t too busy when I was there as I went in the late afternoon and stayed until close. There were a few lines but nothing more than 10 minutes. However, I was rushed through these experiences. Spending only a few minutes in Floating Nest and Forest of Resonating Lamps. I can imagine that the whole museum wouldn’t be nearly as immersive when busy and the copious amounts of bollards in the foyer suggest that it does get a lot busier.
Keen to check it out? Be prepared
Buy tickets in advance. If online tickets are sold out you can not buy any at the door. Wear sneakers otherwise you’ll have to hire some for the upper level experience. Don’t wear a skirt/dress. Many rooms have mirrored floors and everything is on display (although staff do offer you a wrap skirt). Lastly, dedicate multiple hours to explore and try to visit outside of peak times. Get ready to wonder, explore and discover.
You’ll notice that this reflection doesn’t mention any directions to where these artworks are. That’s because I ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW. I lost all sense of space on the lower floor and I gave into the exploratory and immersive world. I imagine that everyone’s experience of this space will be rather unique and I am very keen to read others experiences and to go back and explore again.
If you’re interested in learning more about the upper level I’ve written another story with an education and learning focus.
Photos copyright Bridget Hanna and Ash Clifford. Although, these photos DO NOT do the museum justice!
