teamLab Borderless newly opened in central Tokyo
Formerly in Odaiba, the popular teamLab Borderless digital art museum has found its new permanent home in the recently opened Azabudai Hills in central Tokyo. The digital art museum opened it doors to the public on February 9, 2024, and features a number of never-before-see artworks. Tickets have to be purchased in advance online, and more information can be found in the ticket section below. Similarly, access information to its location in Azabudai Hills can be found in the access section below.
I had the opportunity to attend the media preview ahead of the opening, and without giving too much away, below is a snippet of what you can expect at the new teamLab Borderless. Word of note: several rooms in the digital art museum have mirrored floors, so visitors might want to avoid wearing baggy shorts or skirts on the day of visit.
As the name of the museum suggests, teamLab's Borderless takes one into a digital art world without boundaries. Compared to its sister exhibition teamLab Planets in Toyosu, which is space and universe themed, Borderless focuses on nature and the elements. As such, visitors can expect to see and interact with flowers, animals and element-inspired artwork. Additionally, the specially formulated scents in specific sections of the museum also ensure that the immersive experience goes beyond sight, touch and sound, but also includes smell.
The entire art space is essentially one large canvas featuring over 50 artworks, many of which flow and move freely between the various sections. Once inside the facility, there are no set walking routes nor clear cut entrances or exits. Like the artwork, visitors are encouraged to just go with the flow. Some artwork may look repeated to the uninitiated, but it is an expression of the borderless nature of the museum, in which artworks crossover or spill into and interact with one another.
Interaction with the artwork is a given at a teamLabs museum, and at Borderless, touching the artwork on the various surfaces results in different reactions. For example, a cluster of butterflies might disperse or a flower might wilt or a bird might explode into a myriad of colors - changes create unexpected ends and new beginnings.
It would take hours to experience all the different permutations and combinations of the artworks in Borderless, and I felt like I barely scratched the surface despite having spent close to 3.5 hours at the facility.
Here are some highlights of the museum for me. A large main space near the entrance featuring a long curved wall and a large bounder at the center edge. There, visitors will be treated to displays of water, flowers, vortices, birds and butterflies. A room that has an entryway like a cross between a bamboo forest and a lily pond, which then opens up into a space filled with lilypad-like surfaces on which fish, flowers and butterflies are projected. A room containing the Light Sculpture - Flow series, which is a collaboration of light and music. I hear it takes almost an hour to watch the full track listing!
There is also a tea house inspired by the traditional tea ceremony for visitors to drink tea, in which digital flowers bloom in cups of tea and scatter when no tea is present. An additional fee is charged for tea at the tea house. This taste experience makes a visit a complete sensory experience, and further allows visitors to create their personal work of art.
Visitors can also create their one of a kind teamLab Borderless souvenir at the "Sketch Factory". A marine animal can be colored in and scanned for free in the Sketch Ocean exhibit area, which will then appear on the interactive screen. Furthermore, a tin badge, hand towel, tote bag or T-shirt containing your unique artwork can be ordered via a QR code for an additional fee.
It is easy to get lost in the Borderless space, and I must have walked into the same room a few times. However, the light and artworks were different each time I entered, which meant that there was always something new to see. I almost did not mind getting lost inside at all.
I predict that the new teamLabs Borderless will be immensely popular, and it is worth experiencing this interactive digital art museum for those in Tokyo.
Hours and Fees
teamLab Borderless is open from 10:00 to 21:00 (admission until 20:00). The digital art museum is closed on the first and third Tuesday each month, and it is advisable to check the official website before your visit.
Tickets must be purchased in advance online for a specific date and entry time slot (between 10:00 and 20:00). Admission prices are dynamic, and tickets for an adult over the age of 18 costs between 3800-4800 yen depending on the date. Tickets can be purchased from the official website or Klook on a first-come first-serve basis. Tickets are non-changeable and non-refundable, however, the date can be changed up to three times for tickets purchased directly from the official website. There is no limit to the duration of the visit after admission.
Access
teamLab Borderless is located in the basement floor of Azabudai Hills, which is directly connected to Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Subway Line. Take Exit 5 at Kamiyacho Station, and the entrance to the digital art museum is a few steps from the station.
