Art Dubai | teamLab

The movement of waves in water is simulated in a computer-generated three-dimensional space. The water is expressed as a continuous body after calculating the interactions of hundreds of thousands of particles. To visualize the waves, the behavior of the particles of the water was then extracted and lines were drawn in relation to the movement of the particles. The wave created in a 3-D space is then turned into an artwork in accordance with what teamLab refers to as ultrasubjective space.
In premodern Japanese painting, oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water were expressed as a series of lines. These lines give the impression of life, as though water was a living entity.  
This form of expression leads us to question why premodern people sensed life in rivers and oceans. Also, why did they behave as if they themselves were a part of nature? Perhaps something can be discovered by fusing the fixed objective world of today’s common knowledge with the subjective world of premodern people.
While viewing this artwork, if we feel a sense of life in the collection of lines—what can be called the subjective world of premodern people—then perhaps this is one aspect of objective recognition.
When viewing this artwork, as opposed to watching waves shot with a video camera, people may feel that the barrier between themselves and the waves disappears. They feel immersed in the work, perhaps even feeling life in the collection of lines, as if the waves are luring them in. Perhaps we can find a connection to the way premodern Japanese people perceived the world and consequently behaved toward the world.
If we regard ourselves as a part of nature, and consider nature not just as something to be observed, we might join premodern people in perceiving rivers and oceans as living entities. This is a way of seeing the world that lures us in and allows us to feel that there is no boundary between ourselves and nature.

The scenery of Tashibunosho has been unchanged for thousands of years. It is depicted here through the lives of the people who continue to live in harmony with nature in this perpetual landscape.

The depicted landscape and people’s lives change in the picture throughout the year.

The picture changes throughout the day. It grows brighter as the sun rises, and it becomes aglow with the setting sun. As the night deepens, darkness sets in. The lives of the people depicted changes together with the flow of time.

During the season of the Harvest festival, people will start playing music and dancing at night.

The artwork synchronises with the actual sunrise and sunset at Tashibunosho. When it is actually raining in Tabushinosho, it will also rain in the depicted world.

The scenery of Tashibunosho has been unchanged for thousands of years, and likewise the scenery of the artwork will continue in perpetuity largely unchanged. But just as the natural landscape is never exactly the same, even though it looks similar, the artwork will look different if looked at the following year. The appearance of the artwork at this moment exists only now; you will never be able to see it again. A new landscape is constantly being created.

In the background, cherry blossoms bloom and scatter, the cycle of life repeats. From the center of the background a circle is born which increases in size with a constant rhythm. Depending on the circle the light and darkness of the background world changes.