In the spring of 2021, one of Japan’s most iconic landmarks, Kairakuen Garden, will undergo a major transformation.
teamLab, which describes itself as a digital art and design collective, recently released a series of images of its new Kairakuen Garden installation.
This installation features the collective’s signature light projection techniques and aims to show guests that “nature can become an art.” teamLab’s artists are projecting their work onto the garden’s 3,000 plum blossom trees.
Kairakuen Garden, located in Mito, is considered one of Japan’s “Three Great Gardens,” along with Kenrokuen Garden (located in Kanazawa) and Korakuen Garden (located in Okayama).
Each of these gardens was designed according to the kaiyū organizational logic of the Edo period. The style includes a pond at the garden’s center with a variety of paths situated around the pond to create a strolling garden (or “promenade”).
Because of the timing of the exhibit, many of the garden’s plum blossom trees will be in full bloom. These stunning blooms, paired with the interactive features of teamLab’s installation, will transform the strolling experience into something even more breathtaking than usual.
In a statement about the installation, a representative from teamLab explained that “the forms and shapes of nature have been created over many years and have been molded by the interactions between people and nature.”
They went on to say that teamLab’s purpose with their latest creation is to use shapes in the light exhibit to explore the way the world perceives the “long continuity of time.”
The “teamLab: Digitized Kairakuen Garden” installation will be available to visitors from February 13, 2021, to March 21, 2021. Tickets cost 1,500 JPY for adults, 800 JPY for students aged 13-18, and are free for children under 12.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, masks are required for all visitors, and social distancing measures will be enforced.