This summer, teamLab will be installing a special exhibition at the World Heritage Site of Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto. The internationally renowned art specialists have gained overwhelming acclaim in recent years for their take on immersive digital art, making their first and only permanent museum in Tokyo a hotspot for people looking for a contemporary art experience unlike anywhere else in the world. For a short period of two weeks from August 17 to September 2, these digital art mavens will transform the sacred Kyoto site and its surrounding trees with soft multicolored lights while still respecting the integrity of the landmark.
Photo: teamlab.art/e/shimogamo
The Shimogamo Shrine is one of the oldest in Japan, with a rich history dating back around 2,000 years. Its surrounding Tadasu forest, 120,000 square metres of lush evergreen, is considered equally sacred and is also an important site of natural heritage.
Photo: teamlab.art/e/shimogamo
One installation uses the aforementioned forest as a backdrop, projecting a steady procession of mysterious woodland creatures that you can walk alongside as they journey to places unknown. The projections aren’t pre-recorded – instead, the movements are computer generated in real-time, meaning the visuals will never be repeated or replicated in the same way.
Photo: teamlab.art/e/shimogamo
Another installation, 'Autonomous Resonating Life on the Water' at Mitarashi Pond responds to touch and will emanate sounds when tilted by wind or tapped gently by hand. The sounds made will depend on the colour of the light coming from the objects, which will brighten and fade, creating a brilliant lustre on the surface of the water.
These installations will likely attract an even larger crowd to the highly visited shrine, so teamLab may limit the number of people entering the premises. Tickets are sold at Lawson convenience stores for ¥1,300 (weekday visit) or ¥1,500 (weekend visit); children 12 years old and younger are free to enter. So get your tickets early and you’ll be able to make your way around digitised floating orbs and immerse yourself in a site-specific art experience that will shed a new light on this ancient shrine.
For more information, check teamLab's official site here.