ARTSQ is in Japan!
Tokyo at night
(photo: Cosmin Serbin)
Hi, ya’ll! Ellen, here! Writing from Japan. I’ll be here for the next few weeks exploring archives, visiting museums, and of course, eating ALL the things! 🍜🍛🍣🍱🥟🍙🍚🍘
My first stop is Tokyo, Japan’s capital. Tokyo is one of the world’s largest cities, with a population of over 14 million people! That’s more than the entire population of the state of Illinois! As I acclimate myself to the city (and conquer my jet lag), I have been visiting as many museums as I can (obviously 😉).
One of my favorite (and most unexpected) museum experiences so far has been teamLab Planets. teamLab Planets is a fully interactive experience that involves multiple senses, especially touch! You immerse yourself (at one point, even in water 💦) with fellow visitors and become one with the universe! I am typically attracted to more traditional exhibition experiences—you know, the kind where I don’t get wet, but I was committed to keeping an open mind based on all the buzz that has surrounded teamLab over the past few years.
teamLab was first established in 2001 with the goal of exploring relationships between oneself and the surrounding world! teamLab’s Tokyo-based teamLab Planets, which first opened in 2018, consists of four large-scale artwork spaces and two outdoor gardens. These art installations aren't just visually stunning, they're crafted to involve your entire body! Visitors are encouraged to explore each exhibition space barefoot to feel different textures and temperatures—from cool water pools to soft carpets—enhancing their overall sensory experience.
Ellen, moving through the Infinite Crystal Universe
(photo: Ellen Larson)
After removing our shoes and socks, visitors entered the first space, known as the Infinite Crystal Universe. Here, strings of light create a three-dimensional light sculpture that extends infinitely in all directions. According to teamLab’s website, “People use their smartphones to select stars to throw into The Infinite Crystal Universe. These stars are reborn in three dimensions, creating the artwork. The presence of people and their location within the work affect these three-dimensional stars, which in turn influence and are influenced by other stars in the space.” In this way, the Infinite Crystal Universe is forever changes and evolves based on all the different people who interact with this space!
One of my favorite parts was a warm pool of water with projected koi fish swimming on the surface that stretches out into infinity! You are actually partially submerged in the water and the movements of these koi are influenced by the presence of visitors wading throughout the pool!
Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms — Solidified Light Color, Dusk to Dawn
(photo: Ellen Larson)
Unlike conventional museum experiences, where the audience is advised to look and not touch, teamLab Planets redefines the possibilities for how audiences experience art. Here, art is dynamic, enveloping viewers in a multi-sensory experience. The whole reason why I like going to museums is to have the opportunity to observe and be challenged to look in new ways. I appreciate teamLab’s efforts to make art both fun and accessible for audiences of all ages! It was really fun to watch so many families engage in the artworks together. So, if you ask me, if art can bring people together and make them feel something (even if it’s simply warm water up to their shins), I’m all for it! 🥰
