Can't get into one of Tokyo's biggest attractions? Try Osaka's instead

Sydney Morning Herald

9 hours ago

Translucent pods are a hallmark of teamLab's artistic vision. The Osaka garden has two displays of ovoid sculptures, small ones among camellias and three metre-high eggs in a eucalyptus forest. In response to human touch, the pods change colour and emit tones that are then transmitted to the next structure, much like a technological pass-the-parcel, replete with the giggles of children.
Digital ubiquity also comes into play with the artwork Universe of Fire Particles in the Forest, which explores teamLab's concept of Distributed Art. When you download a smartphone app and approach the work, a digitised flame will ignite on your phone via the app and can be passed to others near you. The flames are tracked globally on the Map of the Flame and the artwork allows you to take the images home as it is locked into the cloud.
But for me, it's the simplest display that resonates most effectively. Walk, Walk, Walk is a series of images that portray diverse marching figures projected along an avenue of trees. There are chariots pulled by horses, samurai and hopping bunnies – classic Japanese imagery that reflects the Zen expression 'Hoho kore dojo', every step is a place to learn. A computer programs ensures the scene is ever-changing and each picture unique, never to be seen again.
There's no set route for visitors to take in the 13 artworks in the garden; you can return to your favourites at leisure until close at 9.30pm depending on the season.
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In a world where light installations seem ubiquitous, some of the displays in teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka may feel familiar – think Field of Light at Uluru or Nocturnal at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains.
But in a similar way to those exhibitions, it's the use of technology to connect the elements and landscape with humanity that makes this such an enticing and refreshing slice of Japanese artistry.
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