Tokyo’s Transformative, Digital-Only Art Museum

The immersive, kaleidoscopic works do not remain static: no borders, walls or doors separate each piece of art from the next. Artworks move freely, sometimes out of the borderless rooms, communicating with viewers and intermingling with other works. The works transform according to the presence of people—here the distinction between viewer and art is completely dissolved, exemplifying precisely how digital technology is expanding the art world.

The museum consists of five zones, using almost 1000 projectors and computers across 10,000-square-meters of space. All of this forms together as a labyrinth of multi-sensory virtual experiences. The installation titled ‘Wander Through The Crystal Universe’, which is part of the Borderless World, for example, has a seemingly infinite number of LED lights with particles that morph and change as the user passes through. This allows them to become the center point of the installation. The area was designed with its own distinct aroma; specifically the smell of the ‘universe’, which was supervised by the astronaut Naoko Yamazaki.

Toshiyuki Inoko, founder of the art collective responsible for the museum, explains that ‘teamLab Borderless’ explores the new relationship between humans and nature, via the convergence of art, technology, design and the natural world. “If an artist can put thoughts and feelings directly into people’s experiences, artworks too can move freely, [and] form connections… with people”, he says. It’s an astounding testament to the link between human consciousness, nature and the universe.