Cover teamLab introduces the ‘Morphing Continuum’ space in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
teamLab introduces the ‘Morphing Continuum’ space in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
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International art collective teamLab continues its expansion in Japan with teamLab Biovortex, a permanent art museum in Minami-ku, Kyoto. Here are the highlights of the space
International art collective teamLab, formed in Tokyo by a group of artists, programmers and architects in 2001, has been mesmerising the world with its permanent and pop-up immersive art experiences that blend digital art with tangible installations and interactive elements.
This autumn, teamLab continues its expansion in Japan, with a permanent art museum in Minami-ku, Kyoto: teamLab Biovortex. Slated for opening in October, it is part of the Kyoto Station Southeast Area Project and will be the third permanent teamLab museum, after teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets in Tokyo.
teamLab Biovortex promises a dynamic array of installations, with new works to be unveiled over time. Tatler takes a look at the highlights of the space.
‘Forest of Resonating Lamps’
Above ‘Forest of Resonating Lamps’ in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
‘Forest of Resonating Lamps’ in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
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Thousands of lanterns illuminate the dark hall, as if one is walking into the 2010 Disney movie Tangled. But these lanterns don’t just float and light up randomly. Created in 2016, this interactive work is equipped with LEDs and sensors that react to the presence of people. The lamps light up and emit sounds when approached, triggering a chain reaction. Each visitor’s path becomes a flowing trajectory, converging with others to symbolise human interconnectedness.
‘Massless Amorphous Sculpture’
Above ‘Massless Amorphous Sculpture‘ created by teamLab (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
‘Massless Amorphous Sculpture‘ created by teamLab (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
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teamLab created this immersive art space in 2020 with the concept of “the definition of life” using only soap and water. A generator creates a large amount of soap bubbles, enough to create a sea—or “sky”—of cloud-like structures. As visitors walk through the space, occasionally getting lost in and submerged by the bubble clouds, the bubbles break and get shaped by their movements, as if they are shifting the “landscape” of this piece. As well as the stunning visuals, the installation’s design recreates the sensation of “cloud-walking”.
‘Massless Suns and Dark Suns’
Above ‘Massless Suns and Dark Suns’ was created in 2020
Created in 2020, this installation features innumerable spheres of light and darkness. Touch a light sphere, and it will shine brightly, triggering the neighbouring spheres to respond. As you take a wider look, these spheres are surrounded by purple-blue orbs, whose light is only visible to humans and not the camera. The installation challenges the boundary between perception and reality, and highlights how our vision of the world can sometimes be blinded by our perceptions.
‘Traces of Life’
Above ‘Trails of Life’ was created in 2025
Created in 2025, this immersive artwork captures visitors’ footsteps, which leave behind a trail of light that forms animated patterns. The installation presents the idea that the world of art emerges from human existence. As visitors step into the breathtaking universe, they are also co-creating the experience alongside teamLab.
‘The Eternal Universe of Words’
Above ‘The Eternal Universe of Words’ in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
‘The Eternal Universe of Words’ in the new museum (Photo: courtesy of teamLab Biovortex Kyoto)
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This immersive work invites viewers to lie down or sit in a relaxed posture to view. Created first in 2021 as an installation named Prayer, it depicts calligraphy endlessly forming and expanding in the space. Each character’s sound echoes and merges into a continuous chant that envelops the viewer.
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