[Exhibition Report] MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless

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Azabudai HillsI visited the "MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless" (hereinafter referred to as teamLab Azabudai) for the first time. Here are my thoughts.

▶︎ Conclusion

I felt it is a place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. The overwhelming worldview of being swallowed up by special visuals is strongly recommended not only for foreign tourists but also for Japanese people! Before visiting, it is better to prepare in advance, such as by listing the works you want to experience. Also, since there was almost no learning involved, I questioned whether this is truly a "museum."

▶︎ Reason for visiting

Although I knew the name teamLab Azabudai, I had avoided it because the price is high (up to 5,600 yen!) and it seemed like there would be many visitors. However, I thought, "I might want to go if it wasn't my own money..." so I proposed it to my family as a birthday present for myself, and they approved and invited me.

▶︎ Access

To get to teamLab Azabudai, it is about a 10-minute walk from Roppongi-itchome Station (Kamiyacho Station). Since Azabudai Hills is so huge, just reaching "Garden Plaza B" on the B1 floor was a struggle in itself.

▼ Impressions of my past visit to Azabudai Hills

▶︎ What is teamLab?

"teamLab" is both an artist name and a company name (teamLab Inc.). The number of employees is about 1,000. It is often thought of as a group that presents works at exhibitions, but in addition to art, they operate projects in various fields such as solutions (apps, websites) and products (details).

▶︎ What is MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless?

✔️ Facility Overview

MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless (it's a long name... not very tasteful😅) is teamLab's first permanent exhibition in Tokyo and its flagship facility. It opened in February 2024.

It is operated by Mori Building teamLab (a joint venture between teamLab and Mori Building). It is sponsored by Epson Sales, the projection partner.

Advance booking is a must. Because they use dynamic pricing, the admission fee fluctuates between 3,600 yen and 5,600 yen. Please note that strollers are not allowed inside and must be left in the locker area.

✔️ Confused by a world with no explanations

First, you are guided by staff in groups and receive a brief video explanation. It is not a manual-style explanation, but only covers the fact that "the projected images change depending on the time, even in the same location."

The concept of teamLab Azabudai is "to wander, explore, and discover in one borderless world." There are over 50 artworks in the museum. However, there are no pamphlets or maps here. As per the concept, visitors can only wander around aimlessly.

Even if you want to go to an art space introduced in various media or reviews, you don't know where it is. In addition to the space being well-designed like a maze, it is very large (over 7,000 square meters!), making it difficult to grasp the overall picture.

I could well understand the sentiment of other visitors who said, "Maybe a stamp rally format would have been better."

Also, since the admission fee is high, I thought it would be better to study and decide in advance what kind of works are there and which ones you definitely want to visit.

✔️ The world's most photogenic space design

Inside the building, projection mapping is displayed on all walls, and some spaces are full of mirrors. You can take photogenic pictures no matter where or what you shoot. If you want likes on Instagram, you should definitely go.

Generally, when projecting onto a wall with a projector, if a person stands in between, only that part becomes a shadow. However, strangely enough, at teamLab Azabudai, shadows do not appear on the walls. While experiencing this museum, I thought "teamLab is amazing," and at the same time, I was impressed, thinking "Epson is also amazing."

Also, since it was slightly hot inside even in winter, I recommend visiting in layers so that you can easily adjust your body temperature.

✔️ Introduction to main works

Even in the same room or hallway, the artworks displayed are constantly changing depending on the time. With that in mind, I will introduce some of the works I experienced.

"Microcosmos - Wobbling Light"

Inside a mirrored room, glowing, bowling-ball-like spheres (wobbling lights) move around with a clanking sound.

"Infinite Crystal World"

This is a space where string-like LED lights hang infinitely. Since the colors and patterns of the light change constantly, it felt like being in the world of a sci-fi movie when warping.

"Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather"

In a large space, waterfalls flow onto walls and floors. In this space, various other works, such as flowers, are also projected in addition to the waterfalls.

Also, inside the space, smooth hills are installed. Here, you can enjoy it like a slide, or climb the hills to slowly appreciate the ever-changing artworks.

"Memory of Topography"

Countless poles stand up from the ground. Images are projected onto the round parts at the top. It is a bit dangerous, as you might bump into the poles.

"Sketch Ocean"

Cute creatures swim comically around the room. These creatures are illustrations colored by visitors.

I went to "teamLab: Dance! Art Exhibition and Learn & Play! Future Park" (2014) at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. I enjoyed similar activities there as well. At teamLab Azabudai, the content was powered up compared to that time.

When you touch the creatures, they run away, swim along with the whales, or pester other creatures. Compared to 2014, various movements have been added.

It is fun to be able to play rather than just "look" at the photogenic visuals. I heard happy voices all over the venue saying, "Oh, that's the fish I drew!"

《Universe of Water Particles on a Rock where People Gather》

Waterfall-like images are projected onto a large cube-shaped structure (which is dangerous if you bump into it). It somehow reminded me of the worldview of Evangelion.

《Bubble Universe: Physical Light, Bubbles of Light, Wobbling Light, and Light Created by the Environment - One Stroke》

This space is likely the most famous spot at teamLab Azabudai. In a room that is mirrored, including the floor, countless round "wobbling lights" are hanging.

The "wobbling lights" change color over time. It is a world that feels like you have wandered into CG. Being able to step into such a world and take photos is something only possible at teamLab Azabudai in the whole world.

Additionally, the laser-beam-like artwork "Light Sculpture" near the entrance could not be viewed because it was under maintenance (this remains the case even now, about two months after my visit).

✔️ The venue is full of foreigners

Although there are many visitors, because the overall space is vast and there are many artworks, it was not at a level where viewing was difficult. And, the venue was packed with foreigners (my gut feeling is that about 60-70% were foreigners).

After actually going to teamLab Azabudai, I thought, "This isn't just enjoyable for foreigners; it is plenty of fun for Japanese people too." There is no other facility like this, not just in Japan, but anywhere else in the world. I think it is perfect not only for sightseeing in Japan, but also for Tokyo sightseeing by Japanese people, or as a birthday present.

✔️ Children might not enjoy it as much as you'd think

Although there were activities like enjoying the slide or having the creatures you doodled come to life, overall, I felt that children cannot fully enjoy it. There are two main reasons.

1) Because the space is large and there are many artworks, it takes a lot of time to view everything (it took me over two hours). However, there are almost no chairs in the venue, so fatigue builds up (my child gave up after about an hour and a half. Their mood deteriorated rapidly).

2) In addition to it being dark, because images are projected onto all the walls, some people may get motion sickness and feel unwell.

✔️ Is this a museum?

The official name is "DIGITAL ART MUSEUM." However, I felt it was not a "museum," but rather a "place for experience," or an "event space."

To me, art requires a "message" or a "question" from the artist as a necessary condition. At teamLab Azabudai, in addition to those being absent, there was also no particular "learning".

I was able to understand firsthand, once again, why it is mentioned in "Art Thinking Starting from 'Questions'" (Hitomi Yoshii) that teamLab is not art.

▶︎ Summary

What did you think?I had mixed feelings as someone who loves art museums about whether this should be called a "Digital Art Museum". However, regarding the point that it is worth visiting, I can confidently say that it is a space I absolutely recommend. Although there was no special "learning" to be had, I felt that this one-of-a-kind, highly photogenic space in the world is something you should visit at least once in your lifetime.

▶︎ Today's Museum Meal