Inside teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi: Sneak peek into renowned art collective's newest museum
A global sensation, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is almost ready to finally welcome guests. The 17,000-square-metre multi-sensory experience on Saadiyat Island will open to the public on April 18, but The National got an early preview of what's inside the highly anticipated digital art space. TeamLab, an international art collective that began in Japan more than two decades ago, has become renowned for its distinct digital installations. It has locations around the world, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, the US and the Netherlands. Known for using technology such as laser projection and colourful lights, alongside smoke machines and reflective surfaces, the group creates a striking immersive experience for visitors who step into their interactive art venue. There are several different installations at teamLab Phenomena, each with its own unique theme that transforms the space into a visually stunning environment. Some even display different art at different times, ensuring no two visits are ever exactly the same. Upon entering the venue, I step into a dark lobby – intentionally dim so my eyes can adjust from the brightness outside. This is necessary, as all of the rooms I'll walk through are more or less in the dark (and no flash photography is allowed). My group is given a briefing before our tour begins. We learn there are two areas in teamLab: dry and water. We'll need to take off our shoes in some rooms, some floors will be uneven and there's an area where the water is knee-deep (so women wearing abayas may want to plan accordingly). It's hard to describe what it's like being at teamLab for someone (such as myself) who has never been. With that said, it's best to be prepared for a multi-sensory overload of sights, sounds, touch and even taste. I don't want to spoil too much about the installations inside, but each one is an experience. For example, there's a room with special balloons that move with the wind but the wind is synced with the ethereal music playing in the space. When the song reaches a crescendo, the wind intensifies, sending the balloons flying everywhere. Another room is awash in red light and features a massive black sphere that moves around. It's an impressive visual sight that needs to be experienced in person to really be appreciated. There's also an installation that uses several lasers that meet in the middle, creating stunning graphics that shift in time with soft music. Different colours and designs emerge, and I could spend all day watching its ever-changing motions. Moving from the dry area, some installations require us to remove our socks and shoes as we step into a space where the water is knee-deep. I have to hike up my dress to avoid getting it soaked. The space feels otherworldly as there are several egg-shaped rocks that change colour in the water. With the addition of mirrored walls, the room feels infinite. The rest of the venue is just as impressive, as we're led through more rooms that showcase the teamLab philosophy of exploring the relationship between humans and the world through art. Although we finished going through all the installations in about two hours, this will vastly differ from person to person. It really depends on how long someone plans to stay and experience every room. I left impressed with what I had just experienced. It's hard not to feel a sense of childlike awe when the art moves around me and even responds to my presence. The music is often calming, evoking a sense of comfort while guiding me into each installation as if inviting me to slow down and take in my dream-like surroundings. It's the kind of experience that everyone should discover – immersive, thoughtful and unlike anything else. teamLab Phenomena opens on April 18 on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; Tickets will cost Dh50 for ages four to 12; Dh115 for ages 13 to 17; and Dh150 for adults (ages 18 and above). They are available to book online
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
4 days ago
- The National
Stanley Tucci doesn't want to be globetrotting food expert like Anthony Bourdain
Stanley Tucci has a lot of time to think, and he hates it. The American actor, 64, has spent the majority of his life making movies – Conclave, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, to name a few – and as much as he loves acting, he laments the fact that he doesn't actually do all that much of it. 'Acting doesn't fulfil me as much as it used to,' Tucci tells The National. 'You're on these sets for 12 to 13 hours a day, and you may only act for 20 minutes of that time. I end up thinking, 'there's got to be a better way to do this!' I just want to keep going and going – I'm very impatient. 'I get paid to wait. It's the acting I do for free. That's the way I feel, at this point.' The problem is, when you're sitting around all day, you're rarely learning something – even about yourself. It's a problem we all have – but he has lost patience with that disconnect. Which is why, over the last decade, Tucci has gone out into the world to learn more about who he really is – through travel and especially through food. 'I think we've gotten out of touch with ourselves physically,' Tucci explains. 'One of the reasons is we're all sitting in front of computers, or on our phones all the time – or myself, waiting on a set – and desk work is far more prominent than doing any kind of labour.' In Tucci's mind, it's all connected. By focusing more on what he eats, he's thought more about where it comes from – the land, and the culture and traditions the land inspires. And by starting at the source, we see ourselves more clearly. 'Getting in touch with the land is so important. From the land comes our food, and then the food goes onto the table, and into us,' says Tucci. Growing up, Tucci was also quite disconnected from his roots. He didn't understand why all the other kids at his small-town school 75km outside of New York City were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he was having leftovers his mother had packed him of last night's eggplant parmigiana. But with each passing decade, he has increasingly immersed himself in his Italian heritage – and embracing even its flaws. And by focusing his journey on food, he has ended up learning more about the country's rich complexities than one might imagine. All of this is in service to understanding the country – and himself – better. 'I don't want to romanticise Italy. I think that's been done ad nauseam. I think it's not interesting and it's not truthful,' says Tucci. Tucci in Italy, his new National Geographic series broadcast weekly in the UAE and available to stream on Disney+, embraces what he feels is the true Italy. In the first episode, for example, he explores Tuscany, focusing specifically on dishes that were created by and for the working class. First he tries lampredotto, the Florentine street food sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow. It's named after the eels that once inhabited the Arno river, and only the rich could afford. The tripe dish, then, was invented to imitate its flavours. But the story doesn't stop here. Tucci then finds another old peasant dish made with imitation tripe by those that couldn't even afford cow stomach. That one might even be his favourite. Politically speaking, there's a reason that he focuses on the lower class – at a time when, once again, immigrants and the poor are being scapegoated, both in Italy and in the US. It's something his immigrant family likely went through once, too. 'I think particularly in today's climate, immigrants are vilified and wrongly so, because they have so much to bring to a culture. Millions of Italians once came over to America, and they were vilified to a certain extent. Also, I think that's something that Italian Americans have to remember, and Italians themselves should remember, too,' says Tucci. But as much as he's enjoyed diving into the unexplored corners of Italy for the series – with another season already shot and set to air next year – he's also adamant that his journey will stop there. While he wants to go deeper into his ancestral homeland, a project he started with the CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in 2021, he doesn't want to explore the rest of the world on camera. It's clear he doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain – the late chef who grew internationally famous for his globetrotting food series Parts Unknown. 'I don't want to do different regions and different countries, because I don't think that would be appropriate. I don't have a connection to those countries,' Tucci explains. In fact, it sounds like Tucci doesn't think there should be another Anthony Bourdain at all. Instead, he wants the Tucci in Italy model to be repeated globally – starring figures who are looking to explore their roots, not modern-day adventurers looking to become the Indiana Jones of restaurants. 'I think it would be more interesting to have somebody like me explore those countries in the way that I've done it – and they need to have a connection to those countries. They need to speak the language, and they have to really, really appreciate the food – not just like to eat. 'They have to know food and be willing to explore and ask questions. It's not just about what's delicious – it's about understanding the passion of the people that make it.' The next season of Tucci in Italy may be the final food travel series for Tucci. 'I'm kind of tired,' he says. Tucci is grappling with the fact that, at 64, he's aging. And part of knowing himself now is about knowing how to navigate his limitations. He's doing that by focusing, once again, on food. 'As a person who's getting older, your body is changing all the time – meaning it's getting weaker all the time. You need to know what it is you need to strengthen yourself - to keep yourself strong. Otherwise I'll grow impatient with myself, too.'
The National
5 days ago
- The National
Why Stanley Tucci doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain
Stanley Tucci has a lot of time to think, and he hates it. The American actor, 64, has spent the majority of his life making movies – Conclave, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, to name a few – and as much as he loves acting, he laments the fact that he doesn't actually do all that much of it. 'Acting doesn't fulfil me as much as it used to,' Tucci tells The National. 'You're on these sets for 12 to 13 hours a day, and you may only act for 20 minutes of that time. I end up thinking, 'there's got to be a better way to do this! I just want to keep going and going – I'm very impatient. 'I get paid to wait. It's the acting I do for free. That's the way I feel, at this point.' The problem is, when you're sitting around all day, you're rarely learning something – even about yourself. It's a problem we all have – but he has lost patience with that disconnect. Which is why, over the last decade, Tucci has gone out into the world to learn more about who he really is – through travel and especially through food. 'I think we've gotten out of touch with ourselves physically,' Tucci explains. 'One of the reasons is we're all sitting in front of computers, or on our phones all the time – or myself, waiting on a set – and desk work is far more prominent than doing any kind of labour.' In Tucci's mind, it's all connected. By focusing more on what he eats, he's thought more about where it comes from – both the land, and the culture and traditions the land inspires. And by starting at the source, we see ourselves more clearly. 'Getting in touch with the land is so important. From the land comes our food, and then the food goes onto the table, and into us,' says Tucci. Growing up, Tucci was also quite disconnected from his roots. He didn't understand why all the other kids at his small-town school 75 km outside of New York City were eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and he was having leftovers his mother had packed him of last night's eggplant parmigiana. But with each passing decade, he has increasingly immersed himself in his Italian heritage – and embracing even its flaws. And by focusing his journey on food, he has ended up learning more about the country's rich complexities than one might imagine. All of this is in service to understanding the country – and himself – better. 'I don't want to romanticise Italy. I think that's been done ad nauseum. I think it's not interesting and it's not truthful,' says Tucci. Tucci in Italy, his new National Geographic series airing weekly in the UAE and available to stream on Disney+, embraces what he feels is the true Italy. In the first episode, for example, he explores Tuscany, focusing specifically on dishes that were created by and for the working class. First he tries lampredotto, the Florentine street food sandwich made from the fourth stomach of a cow. It's named after the eels that once inhabited the Arno river, and only the rich could afford. The tripe dish, then, was invented to imitate its flavours. But the story doesn't stop here. Tucci then finds another old peasant dish made with imitation tripe by those that couldn't even afford cow stomach. That one might even be his favourite. Politically speaking, there's a reason that he focuses on the lower class – at a time when, once again, immigrants and the poor are being scapegoated, both in Italy and in the United States. It's something his immigrant family likely went through once, too. 'I think particularly in today's climate, immigrants are vilified and wrongly so, because they have so much to bring to a culture. Millions of Italians once came over to America, and they were vilified to a certain extent. Also, I think that's something that Italian Americans have to remember, and Italians themselves should remember, too,' says Tucci. But as much as he's enjoyed diving into the unexplored corners of Italy for the series – with another season already shot and set to air next year – he's also adamant that his journey will stop there. While he wants to go deeper into his ancestral homeland, a project he started with the CNN series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in 2021, he doesn't want to explore the rest of the world on camera. It's clear he doesn't want to be the next Anthony Bourdain – the late chef who grew internationally famous for his globetrotting food series Parts Unknown. 'I don't want to do different regions and different countries, because I don't think that would be appropriate. I don't have a connection to those countries,' Tucci explains. In fact, it sounds like Tucci doesn't think there should be another Anthony Bourdain at all. Instead, he wants the Tucci in Italy model to be repeated globally – starring figures who are looking to explore their roots, not modern-day adventurers looking to become the Indiana Jones of restaurants. 'I think it would be more interesting to have somebody like me explore those countries in the way that I've done it – and they need to have a connection to those countries. They need to speak the language, and they have to really, really appreciate the food – not just like to eat. 'They have to know food and be willing to explore and ask questions. It's not just about what's delicious – it's about understanding the passion of the people that make it.' In fact, the next season of Tucci in Italy may be the final food travel series for Tucci. 'I'm kind of tired,' he says. Tucci is grappling with the fact that, at 64, he's aging. And part of knowing himself now is about knowing how to navigate his limitations. He's doing that by focusing, once again, on food. 'As a person who's getting older, your body is changing all the time – meaning it's getting weaker all the time. You need to know what it is you need to strengthen yourself - to keep yourself strong. Otherwise I'll grow impatient with myself, too.'
Cosmopolitan ME
5 days ago
- Cosmopolitan ME
How to *actually* take good pics at teamLab Phenomena
ICYMI teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi in Saadiyat Cultural District is the latest exhibition taking over the capital. Irshowcases groundbreaking artworks by the international art collective teamLab, all of which are inspired by the balance between nature, the manufactured world and the environment. It's got to be seen and if you do go you will 100% be wanting to get some shots for the 'gram, which may be a little overwhelming due to the lighting and everything to see. Dw though as we've been sent tips on shooting content on Apple iPhone at the spot. Keep reading if you are heading to AD's teamLab soon. Tips for shooting content at teamLab Phenomena by Peter Jay Shot by Peter Jay 1. Turn on the level and grid. The first two immersive experiences don't have a clear horizon line, which can make it tricky to get a straight shot. Enabling the level and grid helps ensure your framing is perfectly aligned. It's a simple trick, but it can save a lot of time and effort in post-processing. 2. Dealing with screen flicker in video mode. If you notice flickering while recording video, it's likely because the lighting frequency in the room doesn't match your camera's frame rate. To fix this, head into your video settings and adjust the frame rate until the flicker disappears. Alternatively, in video mode, just tap the frame rate digits on the top right of your screen and select a better-suited value. 3. Shooting in low light with Night Mode. In darker areas, your device may suggest a longer exposure time—sometimes 5 seconds or more. You can control the exposure length by swiping left or right to adjust it. Since much of the experience features moving light art, I recommend shortening the exposure time to avoid motion blur—unless, of course, you're going for a more abstract, artistic effect. Tips for shooting content at teamLab Phenomena by Jerome Rafael Shot by Jerome Rafael 1. If you're using an iPhone Pro model and shooting with a third-party app (like ProCamera), enable RAW to retain maximum detail and dynamic range. 2. Lock Focus and Exposure (AE/AF Lock) is crucial. Tap and hold your focus point until the yellow box appears. Then adjust the exposure by sliding up or down. Tips for shooting content at teamLab Phenomena by Debbie Fortes Shot by Debbie Fortes 1. Using the feature 'clean up' for post-processing your images, helps a lot especially if you would like to remove clutter or people in your photo. 2. Ensure it's in Live Mode – if you want the long exposure effect on your photo. 3. Preserve settings on your camera mode are also useful – making sure you are always using the last mode rather than switching to different modes or different settings of your camera. You want to make sure that you are always ready to shoot away and not worry about adjusting the settings from time to time.
