By Joe Tracy, Editor of Theme Park Magazine
Art collective teamLab and the Saudi Ministry of Culture inaugurated the project site of the first permanent teamLab Borderless museum in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez, Vice Minister of Culture of Saudi Arabia, and Toshiyuki Inoko, the founder of teamLab, officially inaugurated the site in April 2022.
Jeddah, known as the “art capital of Saudi Arabia,” will be the home of teamLab Borderless Jeddah opening in 2023.
teamLab Borderless Jeddah
According to teamLab and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, teamLab Borderless Jeddah will feature over 50 Borderless art selections along with a new exclusive installation. The museum will sit along the banks of Al-Arbaeen Lagoon facing the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Jeddah. Construction of the site has been underway for several months.
Some of the large labyrinth-like spaces in teamLab Borderless Jeddah will include:
- Athletics Forest
- Borderless World
- Future Park
teamLab Borderless Jeddah is part of a 10-year partnership between teamLab and the Ministry of Culture formed in 2020. The collaboration will generate other imaginative installations and museums in Saudi Arabia over the next several years.
An interesting feature of teamLab Borderless museums is the lack of maps. There is no right or wrong way to experience the museum. teamLab calls this a “Borderless World.”
A Borderless World
teamLab Borderless is a collection of visually stunning artworks that form a continuous, “borderless world.” teamLab uses digital art, projections, and music to convey a connection and exploration between the world, technology, people, and time. The exhibits reflect the view that “everything exists in a long, fragile yet miraculous, borderless continuity of life.” Many exhibits will transform with the presence or interaction of people, creating a unique experience each visit.
Inoko explained the art collective’s approach.
“The concept of teamLab Borderless is that everything exists in a borderless continuity. And our work is based on the continuous accumulation of human knowledge over a long history. By experiencing teamLab Borderless, we hope that people will be able to move between the seamlessly interconnected past and present, and to imagine an ideal future.”
teamLab expresses this “borderless” concept by having artwork:
- Move in and out of rooms.
- “Communicate” with each other.
- Intermingle and transform.
Cultural Vision of Creativity and Expression
The partnership between the Ministry of Culture and teamLab is part of a cultural effort by Saudi Arabia to create more cultivating artistic and visionary environments.
“Nurturing creativity and unleashing new forms of expression is at the heart of our cultural vision for Saudi Arabia,” says Vice Minister of Culture Hamed bin Mohammed Fayez. “The concept of ‘borderless’, which sees art transcend boundaries and disciplines, resonates deeply with our efforts to build global bridges, and enhance cultural understanding amongst citizens, residents, and visitors.”
About teamLab
teamLab is an international art collective of hundreds of artists, engineers, architects, programmers, mathematicians, and CG animators. The group creates immersive digital art experiences.
teamLab was formed in 2001 by Toshiyuki Inoko. It gained attention in 2014 when New York’s Pace Gallery highlighted its work.
teamLab Borderless, operated by Mori Building Company in Tokyo, Japan, opened in 2018. It was an instant hit, being recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the most visited museum dedicated to a single group or artist in the world.” teamLab has delivered a plethora of exhibitions, several permanent, around the globe.
The purpose of teamLab is “to explore the relationship between the self and the world” through art. The teamLab Borderless exhibitions present various artworks that connect with each other to form a borderless environment.
Explore More: Videos
Explore More: Resources
- Website: teamLab
- Web page: Mori Building Digital Art Museum (TIME)
- Website: Pace Gallery
All images teamLab Borderless © teamLab
