Discover Eight Captivating Destinations for teamLab’s Immersive Art Experiences

It’s easy to understand why teamLab’s art exhibitions captivate millions: few places offer the chance to lose yourself in endless fields of shimmering stars, pursue digital birds through immersive rooms, or cause flowers to bloom with a simple touch.

Founded in 2001, teamLab is a diverse collective of mathematicians, engineers, and artists who first gained attention through a collaboration with artist Takashi Murakami. Their work, which explores the intersection of art, science, technology, and nature, has grown internationally with both permanent and temporary exhibitions across Asia, Europe, and the United States. One highlight, teamLab Planets in Tokyo, attracted 2.5 million visitors last year, earning recognition as the world’s most-visited museum by a single art collective.

Currently, teamLab operates 12 exhibitions in Japan, alongside locations in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Macau, Miami, New York, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Additional projects are underway in Hamburg, Germany; Utrecht, the Netherlands; Kyoto, Japan; and other cities.

These immersive environments break away from the conventional art gallery experience. Visitors might find themselves walking through actual pools filled with virtual koi fish or interacting with swirling digital whirlpools. Some installations are set outdoors, such as those in Japan’s Izura rice paddies, or employ dynamic elements like strings of live orchids that move in response to visitors’ paths, as seen at the Planets museum. In the “Sketch” exhibits, guests use crayons to color creatures that then come to life as animated projections on surrounding surfaces.

While the vivid colors and striking visuals make for popular social media content, some critics label these exhibitions as mere visual spectacles or tourist attractions. However, the installations delve into profound themes, including identity, boundaries, connectivity, and the cycles of life and death within nature, offering visitors a deeply immersive and thought-provoking journey.