TeamLab will open a new permanent museum in October a short walk away from Kyoto Station. This will be the art collective’s largest facility in Japan with more than 50 works planned.
A Living Art Space That Changes with Visitors
The pioneering digital art collective TeamLab will open a new permanent museum, TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto, near Kyoto Station on October 7. With ticket sales already underway, part of the exhibition was previewed for the media.
TeamLab operates not only in Japan but also in Shanghai, Macau, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and other locations worldwide, earning high acclaim overseas. In fiscal 2023, more than 2.5 million people visited TeamLab Planets Tokyo, which was recognized by Guinness World Records as the “most visited museum by a single art group.” Nearly 70% of those visitors were from overseas, suggesting that the new Kyoto venue is also likely to thrive as inbound tourism continues to surge.
Just seven or eight minutes on foot from Kyoto Station’s Hachijō Exit, the venue is conveniently located for visitors before or after a Shinkansen journey. With a total floor area of 10,000 square meters, it will be the largest TeamLab facility in Japan. More than 50 works are planned, with 7 unveiled to the press on this occasion.
The highlight was the “Massless Amorphous Sculpture,” built on the concept that “the artworks do not exist independently but are created by the environment which produces the various phenomena that cause the artworks to exist.” A monumental bubble-like form drifts in midair, constantly shifting in response to the movements of visitors and the conditions of the surrounding space. While the work has previously been shown overseas, this marks its debut in Japan. Like other installations, it integrates the presence and actions of visitors into the artwork itself, transforming the venue from a place of passive viewing into what TeamLab calls a “living art space.”
“Massless Amorphous Sculpture” features a floating bubble-like form suspended in a vast space. (© Nippon.com)
The new museum has been developed as part of the Kyoto Station Southeast Area Project. Adjacent facilities will include an interactive art center, while along the nearby Kamo River, toward JR Tōfukuji Station, a production studio led by contemporary artist Murakami Takashi’s collective Kaikai Kiki is also slated to open.
Kyoto mayor Matsui Kōji expressed his hopes for the project, noting that “the establishment in Kyoto of a permanent TeamLab facility, which has created innovative and inspiring experiences both in Japan and abroad, is of great significance.” It will be one more reason to visit the ancient capital.
The five-story TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto. (© Nippon.com)
“Morphing Continuum,” a fluid structure that continuously transforms across time and space. (© Nippon.com)
“The Eternal Universe of Words,” where calligraphy and sound resonate in an infinite expanse. (© Nippon.com)
“The Way of Birds,” a mystical depiction of thousands of birds in flight. (© Nippon.com)
“Forest of Resonating Lamps,” themed on the seasons and fire, shifts in color in response to human movement. (© Nippon.com)
TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto
Location: 21-5 Higashikujō, Hisashiiwamotochō, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Opening date: October, 7, 2025
Hours: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm (Reservation required for a specific date and time. Entrance allowed until 7:30 pm.)
Entrance fees: ¥3,600–¥4,400 (18 and over. Admission prices vary depending on the time and date.); ¥2,800 (Junior high school and high school students); ¥1,800 (Age 4–12)
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/e/kyoto/
(Originally published in Japanese. Reporting, text, photographs, and video by Fujii Kazuyuki, 96Box. Banner photo: “Forest of Resonating Lamps,” at TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto. © Nippon.com.)