The wait is over: teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi opens to public
Images: Abu Dhabi Media Office
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a massive 17,000-square-metre multi-sensory experience by the globally renowned Tokyo-based art collective teamLab, is now
Located in the heart of Saadiyat Cultural District, the purpose-built structure is more than just a venue — it's a dynamic, breathing environment where art, science, and technology merge to ignite imagination and curiosity.
A collaboration between the Department of Culture and Tourism—Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi),
خالد بن محمد بن زايد يشهد حفل افتتاح متحف 'تيم لاب فينومينا أبوظبي' للفنون الرقمية في منطقة السعديات الثقافية لتعزيز الابتكار الثقافي، ودعم تبادل المعارف والخبرات الفنية، ترسيخاً لمكانة الإمارة كملتقى للتواصل الثقافي والحضاري عبر المبادرات الثقافية والفنية الرائدة عالمياً.
— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice)
Redefining the relationship between art and environment
Unlike traditional art spaces, the installations at teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi do not exist in isolation. They are manifestations of phenomena — emerging and sustained entirely by their environment. This revolutionary concept challenges the conventional notion of art as a static object.
'The artworks in teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi do not exist independently,' explains Toshiyuki Inoko, founder of teamLab. 'The environment produces the phenomena, and the environment maintains the existence of the structure.'
Inoko describes a new form of existence — one that is intangible, dynamic, and deeply interwoven with its surroundings. 'Perhaps, people's consciousness will spread from existence itself to the environment,' he adds. 'Life may be a miraculous phenomenon that emerges from a flow in an open and continuous world.'
Enter an immersive world
Guests will journey through extraordinary installations, where elements like air, water, and light are transformed into sensory phenomena, shaped by both the surrounding environment and visitors' interactions — offering an ever-changing, living art experience.
Divided into two captivating zones — Wet and Dry — teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi invites guests to step into a world where art and audience merge. In the Dry area, interactive artworks come alive in response to visitors' movements, creating a personalised, ever-changing experience.
Transitioning to the Wet area, guests follow a dedicated path into a sensory-rich environment, where fluid, tactile installations deepen the connection between art, nature, and the self.
'Morphing Continuum'
Even if individual elements are separated in space and time, when a structural order appears among them, the elements transcend space and time and form a single entity.
— teamLab (@teamLab_net)
Visitors will experience exhibits such as
Massless Suns and Dark Suns
, where radiant and shadowy spheres challenge perceptions — solid yet intangible, their presence entirely dependent on the visitor's interaction. A gentle touch sends ripples of light across neighboring spheres, while purple-blue shadows take on a tangible form.
Nearby,
Levitation Void
introduces a floating phenomenon — an energy-infused void that defies gravity. Suspended in mid-air, this entity hovers freely, responding to touch and disturbance, only to slowly rise again and return to its ethereal state.
'Levitation Void'
The void that levitates in the air is not suspended by anything, nor does it have its own power. Its existence transcends the concept of mass, it levitates in the middle of the air, not on the ground or at the ceiling.
— teamLab (@teamLab_net)
'Flutter of Butterflies'
Flutters of butterflies appear from the ground and the walls where people touch.
Through the simple interactions among the butterflies, a part of the artwork continues to create spontaneous order even as the entire flutter moves in disorder.
— teamLab (@teamLab_net)
A vision for the future of cultural exchange
Speaking on the significance of the launch, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi , said: 'Saadiyat Cultural District is a testament to Abu Dhabi's commitment to preserving heritage while embracing a forward-looking vision… We believe in the diversity of artistic expression and teamLab is the perfect partner to provide immersive art experiences that push the boundaries of art and technology.'
He added: 'teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi will offer an immersive journey that sparks infinite curiosity and imagination… Through these multi-sensory explorations, we are inspiring new generations of innovators, thinkers, and creators from Abu Dhabi and beyond.'
A jewel in Saadiyat's Cultural Crown
teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is the latest addition to the ever-evolving Saadiyat Cultural District. With institutions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, and Berklee Abu Dhabi already established, the District is poised to become the world's largest concentration of premier cultural and educational institutions.
Soon, this artistic ecosystem will be further enriched with the opening of Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi — each promising to deepen the city's cultural capital and global appeal.
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