Kyoto Set to Open New Museum Centered on Materiality and Immersive Experiences This Autumn
In January 2025, teamLab revealed a major expansion of its Tokyo museum, nearly doubling its size to allow for even more immersive experiences. Now, just a few months later, the art collective has already announced its latest project, set to debut this fall in Minami-ku, Kyoto, as part of the Kyoto Station Southeast Area Project.
Through a range of experimental artworks, many of which have not been previously shown in Japan, Biovortex Kyoto primarily examines what teamLab refers to as “traditional ideas of material substances” and the ways to surpass them. Guests will immerse themselves in everything from a sea of bubbles to a glowing field, investigating the boundaries of their bodies in relation to concepts such as mass, light, and time. Each area is activated through audience involvement and directly questions how, precisely, we opt to experience and interact with art, particularly on such a grand scale. The anticipated outcome, according to teamLab, is a “creative hub for generating and disseminating new value” in and around Kyoto.
Unlike some other endeavors from teamLab, Biovortex Kyoto incorporates more physical effects rather than solely technological ones throughout its installations. Massless Amorphous Sculpture, for example, serves as an exploration of ambiguity, permanence, and weight, all represented through soap bubbles. In this setting, bubbles are far from being an ordinary or inconspicuous element; instead, they invite visitors to observe their movements in response to environmental changes. At times, the bubble clusters shatter, scattering through the air as smaller pieces. At other times, the clusters remain unified, bulbous, and almost monumental, highlighting how often a form can shift and transform.
“Massless Amorphous Sculpture maintains its existence in mid-air, possessing unclear boundaries,” teamLab states regarding the piece. “It is capable of retaining its shape even when individuals physically interact with the sculpture, naturally reverting even if it disintegrates.”
Conversely, Traces of Light leans more towards abstraction. This installation is a striking light exhibit, with vibrant tendrils and webs reacting to people strolling through the exhibition. Without visitors, teamLab elaborates, “nothing exists except for the space, and nothing will ever be illustrated.” In essence, the artwork depends on the presence of others, just like the universe itself.
In addition to Traces of Light and Massless Amorphous Sculpture, Biovortex Kyoto will also showcase Massless Suns and Dark Suns and Morphing Continuum, both exploring themes of order, energy, and materiality. More installations featured in the museum will be disclosed in the upcoming months.
To discover more about Biovortex Kyoto and its opening this fall, visit the teamLab website.