Futuristic art exhibition uses digital displays and AR to create a transcendental experience

In the basement of GINZA 456 in Ginza, Tokyo a strange new jugle is growing. This fantastic neon sight was created by and is operated by KDDI and teamLab. KDDI is telecommunications giant in Japan, and teamLab is a international art collective.

The exhibition is question has been dubbed Catch and Collect. Harnessing 5G capabilities, it aims to blur the lines between the natural world and the digital by overwhelming visitors with fanciful displays. The experience also strives to be immersive; its venue incorporates quiet background music and ambiance to create the effect of a jungle at night. There is also a faint forest-like scent.

Finally, the exhibit includes interactive technology in its displays. For instance, displays will glow and change when visitors touch them. Perhaps more exciting, participants can leverage AR apps to catch digital butterflies using their smartphones. Upon a successful capture, the butterflies move from the display to the user's smartphone. Eighteen kinds of butterflies are included throughout the exhibit.

"I went to GINZA 456 & TeamLab's "Catch and Collect” exhibition. It's all about catching butterflies on your smartphone, and I was crazy about it. I was fascinated by the colorful world, and I wanted to stay there forever."

"Yesterday was the first day of summer vacation. We went to a teamLab event."

"It was really good!! GINZA 456. teamLab fans should definitely go there."

"Rainy day date. Before lunch, we went to GINZA 456, a collaborative exhibition between KDDI and teamLab. I caught butterflies on my smartphone using their app. We competed to see who could capture the most butterflies! As I expected, I completely lost.”

Toshiyuki Inoko, a teamLab representative and artist, answered questions in a recent interview. The artist noted:

“When I was young, I was really interested in ‘Why do people think that what you see on TV is occurring outside of yourself?' In space, it actually occurs in a medium in the same place as and is continuous with your body. Even when watching the news, people feel disconnected from what's happening on it. I wondered why people behaved as if there are boundaries between themselves and what they witness. In truth, there are no such boundaries, so why think that? I could never understand that.”

With this in mind, Inoko trained for over ten years, hoping to change how people see the world. Over time, he developed a unique way of presenting his artistic vision that can be seen in the Ginza 456 exhibit. His transcendental art continues to fascinate people all over the world.

This exhibition will be held until August 22, 2021. Why not check out this transcendental experience for yourself.

By - Luke Mahoney.

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