From the bustling heart of Tokyo to Jeddah’s Historic District, the renowned teamLab Borderless museum is making its highly anticipated debut in Saudi Arabia on June 10. This new outpost, the first in the Middle East, promises to bring a unique blend of technology and art to the region.
Arab News had the opportunity to speak with teamLab Borderless founder, Toshiyuki Inoko, ahead of the grand opening. Inoko shared his aspirations for the new space and the significance of its location.
The Jeddah Museum will showcase over 80 interrelated artworks designed to influence and interact with others. “Each one of (the) artworks are not independently displayed but they are interrelated and they influence each other … our artwork is fluid and has no borders, hence the name borderless,” Inoko explained.
Among the featured installations is “Flutter of Butterflies Beyond Borders in Layered Ultrasubjective Space-1,” an immersive piece that epitomizes the museum’s ethos of boundless creativity.
The Jeddah venue will be divided into four main sections: Athletics Forest, Future Park, Forest of Lamps, and EN TEA HOUSE. These sections are designed to offer visitors an ever-changing experience, blending physical interaction with digital artistry.
“Once you enter our doors, you walk through a world that is changing endlessly. As you explore further, you enjoy the process of transformation through the artwork,” Inoko said.
Inoko emphasized the importance of Jeddah’s rich historical context in choosing it as the site for the museum. “Jeddah is strongly historical and it is rare to see and touch traces of history and Jeddah is one of those rare places where this happens. We think it’s going to be very meaningful for people to create a modern experience in such a strong historical context. We hope to capture the journey between the past and the future,” he noted.
The immersive nature of teamLab Borderless is designed to engage visitors in a way that traditional art galleries do not. Inoko hopes that this interaction will challenge conventional notions of beauty and encourage a new perspective on the world.
“At our museum, you as a visitor have the power to influence the art with your physical body … we are hoping to challenge the notion of beauty by showing how it can be everchanging and we hope it can also influence the way people look at the world,” he added.
With its innovative approach and historical setting, teamLab Borderless in Jeddah is set to offer a groundbreaking experience that bridges the past and future. As the opening day approaches, the anticipation for this unique museum continues to build.