On Tuesday, September 27, 2016, a “The Universe and Art” MAMC Night was held for members of the Mori Art Museum membership program, MAMC.
This MAMC Night, which reached its capacity in no time, took the form of a Talk Event with invited guest Inoko Toshiyuki, founder of teamLab.
With Mori Art Museum Director Nanjo Fumio acting as the interviewer, Inoko spoke about teamLab's artworks, from their work in the “The Universe and Art” exhibition to their latest efforts.
Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Blossoming on Collision - Light in Space
https://www.team-lab.net/w/crows_blossoming_on_collision/
The final work in the “The Universe and Art” exhibition, Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Blossoming on Collision - Light in Space was extremely popular with visitors.
Asked about the viewing method, Inoko commented, “Because it's constructed in such a way that when the people viewing it gather together tightly in one place the perspective lines of the work converge there, the boundaries between the floor and the walls disappear and the paths followed by the sacred crows leap out into the space, making it seem as if one had entered the work.”
Speaking of teamLab, who can forget the buzz that surrounded their “DMM.PLANETS Art by teamLab” exhibition held at Odaiba last summer? It seems that a number of people at this event also visited that exhibition. One of the works presented there, Wander through the Crystal Universe, is part of the same series as teamLab Crystal Fireworks of Wishes shown at the Mohri Garden at Roppongi Hills as part of “Roppongi Art Night 2015.“ It consists of a sculptural body formed by the accumulation of countless LED light points. Visitors can enter the 500-square-meter exhibition room and physically experience the world inside.
Inoko Toshiyuki, founder of teamLab
According to Inoko, the concepts behind Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are Destined to be Chased as well, Blossoming on Collision - Light in Space and “DMM.PLANETS Art by team Lab” are the same, and they also share the same themes of the sensation of entering the work and feeling the boundary between the work and oneself disappearing and the sensation of merging together with others.
“Usually, if we live our lives normally, there are boundaries between the world and ourselves,” said Inoko. “In particular, because our cities are too big and we cannot change them on our own, we are not integrated with them and we feel like bystanders with no connection to them. One could also say that the presence of boundaries makes it easy to stand by and look, but in ancient times I think people lived at one with the forest around them and enjoyed mystical experiences on a daily basis.
“I think it's important for people today to have the kinds of experiences that make them appreciate that they are simply a part of the world around them.
“It's wonderful when boundaries become ambiguous. To start with, I want people to experience the boundary between themselves and the artwork becoming ambiguous in art, and to loose themselves in the process.”
The venue was full of laughter
Next, Mori Art Museum Director Nanjo Fumio introduced teamLab's latest work, Infinity of Flowers inside Small Things. First presented at the Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art, Ibaraki, as part of “KENPOKU ART 2016” this work was commissioned as a new work on the theme of “Japanese style” by Nanjo, who is also General Director of “KENPOKU ART 2016.”
Izura in Ibaraki prefecture was where Okakura Tenshin lived in the late 19th century together with Yokoyama Taikan and Hishida Shunso, and because the work was to be exhibited at the Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art, which was built to commemorate these men and their achievements, before creating it Inoko read Tenshin's The Book of Tea and took inspiration from his words, “The spirit of Japan dwells in tea.” 7 other works by teamLab were also displayed at the Tenshin Memorial Museum of Art, Ibaraki.
A flower blooms inside a veseel in which tea has been prepared.
Flowers Bloom in an Infinite Universe inside a Teacup
teamLab, 2016, Interactive Digital Installation
https://www.team-lab.net/w/flowersbloom/
The next work discussed was Light Sculpture of Flames, which is shown in Silicon Valley.
This work also uses points of light to express flames as a sculptural body.
According to Inoko, the inspiration for the work was the mystery surrounding the fact that while a flame is a three-dimensional object, its center appears white due to the layering of colors, as a result of which it looks flat.
Inoko speaking heatedly about flames
In addition to the above works, Inoko introduced and showed images of a large number of works, including Sketch Aquarium, which is a permanent exhibit at both Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and Lotte World in Seoul, South Korea; and Resonating Trees - Forest of Tadasu at Shimogamo Shrine Art by teamLab, which was exhibited as part of the “Light Festival in Tadasu no Mori” held at Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto.
Shown in the photo is a recent work that involved projection onto nature. In Flowers Bloom under a Waterfall in the Gorge - Oboke Koboke, flowers bloomed on the surface of the river flowing through the Oboke and Koboke gorges in Inoko's home prefecture of Tokushima.
Undertaking multiple projects simultaneously not only in Japan but also overseas, teamLab is remarkably active on the global stage. Attendees at this talk event got a real sense of founder Inoko Toshiyuki's prodigious power.
The Mori Art Museum membership program, MAMC, holds members-only gallery tours and talk events with guest speakers for each exhibition. We hope to see you at the next event.
A commemorative photo taken at the event venue with (from left to right) Tsubaki Reiko (Associate Curator, Mori Art Museum), Inoko Toshiyuki (Founder of teamLab), Nanjo Fumio (Director, Mori Art Museum).
Text: Imamura Akiko (Marketing Group, Mori Art Museum)
Photos: Mikuriya Shinichiro
Relevant Information
・MAMC Membership
・MAMC members' event
・Welcome to the World of Nomura Kazuhiro!
“Roppongi Crossing 2016” MAMC Night
・Murakami makes a surprise appearance!
MAMC events held at “Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats”
・The Universe and Art: Princess Kaguya, Leonardo da Vinci, teamLab
July 30, 2016 - January 9, 2017
