TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi to open in the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island

The permanent home of international art collective teamLab is scheduled to begin welcoming visitors from 2024

A sneak peek at teamLab Phenomena is being offered as part of an exhibition at Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. All photos: Victor Besa / The National, unless otherwise specified

teamLab Phenomena is scheduled to open in 2024. Photo: DCT - Abu Dhabi

The Waves of Light experience aims to instil a feeling of unity and references the interconnectedness of the globe’s oceans.

The Resonating Microcosms - Solidified Light Color experience experiments with the concepts of colour and sound through large translucent ovoids.

Dozens of these egg-shaped structures are arranged in an expansive mirrored room, giving the feeling of an infinitely replicating area.

As visitors move through the ovoids, they change light and trigger a sound.

When ovoids are moved in unison, a digital chime resonates across the space. In contrast, when people are still, the ovoids flicker slowly and emit a more subdued sound.

Waves of Light leads to a presentation offering a glimpse at what to expect from the space.

TeamLab will have a permanent address on Saadiyat Island, adding to the growing list of major institutions opening in Abu Dhabi's Cultural District.

The international art collective, known for curating immersive, technology-driven exhibitions around the world, will open teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in 2024, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi and Miral.

The 17,000-square-metre structure, nicknamed the Home for Infinite Curiosity, will feature original and constantly changing art and technology. The installations within the space will be “designed to flow” with the amoebic architecture, teamLab said.

“The architecture, conceptualised by teamLab and realised by Abu Dhabi-based MZ Architects, plays an important role in providing the artworks with an environment to evolve freely and organically, as if they were life forms themselves.

“The experience will be unique to each visitor, changing with each visit, as they discover a place in which to endlessly explore and transcend the limits of their imagination.”

To celebrate the official opening of the project, DCT — Abu Dhabi has launched a preview exhibition at Mamsha Al Saadiyat.

The event, running until July 17, features two immersive experiences that offer a glimpse at the installations that will be presented at teamLab Phenomena.

The first, titled Waves of Light, is in a wide and meandering hallway that features floor-to-ceiling projections of light strands, merging and moving like the tide. The meditative, ambient soundtrack in the space is inspired by the sound of the ocean.

The digital installation aims to instil a feeling of unity and references the interconnectedness of the globe’s oceans.

The hallway leads to a presentation about teamLab Phenomena, showing visitors what they can expect from the space.

The second experience, Resonating Microcosms — Solidified Light Color, is more interactive, experimenting with the concepts of colour and sound through large, translucent ovoids.

Dozens of egg-shaped structures are arranged in an expansive, mirrored room, giving you the feeling of an infinitely replicating area. As visitors move the ovoids change the light and trigger a sound.

When the ovoids are moved in unison, a digital chime resonates, and when visitors are still, the ovoids flicker slowly and emit a more subdued sound.

“Sitting at the intersection of art, technology, nature and high-tech fantasy, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi will offer a world of boundless wonder and creativity to all who visit, encouraging the new perspectives that are so essential to a thriving future,” said Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of DCT — Abu Dhabi.

“The teamLab Phenomena experience will be unique to Abu Dhabi, reinforcing the emirate’s position as a destination of distinction.

“Providing a journey which will trigger the senses, nurture curiosity, spark imagination and awaken a thirst for knowledge, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi fully supports our commitment to inspire a new generation of innovators and creators in the emirate and beyond.”

Toshiyuki Inoko, founder of teamLab, said: “TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is based on teamLab’s new concept in which the existence of the artworks are created by the phenomena produced by their environment.

“The artworks in teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi do not exist independently but are created by the environment which produces the various phenomena.

“Visitors will be immersed into a world that organically changes and evolves through the participation and actions of the people in it, and it is precisely this physical experience that can expand our senses of value.”

The Saadiyat Cultural District is currently home to Louvre Abu Dhabi and Manarat Al Saadiyat, however, a number of museums and cultural centres are being developed for the area. These include the Zayed National Museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Abrahamic Family House and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.

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