We have Future World: Where Art Meets Science at the ArtScience Museum right here in Singapore – a trippy mix of lights, colours, and interactivity that’s everything you need for your IG feed. But if you’re planning a holiday to Japan soon, here’s something new to add to your Kyoto itinerary.
teamLab – the international art collective behind Future World – is launching a brand new museum: teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, opening sometime in autumn 2025.
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto will be setting up shop in Minami-ku, a ward in the southern part of Kyoto. For those not familiar, this area is just a hop and a skip away from the ever-busy Kyoto Station, making it super convenient for travellers zipping in via Shinkansen or planning day trips around the city.
The museum will be part of the Kyoto Station Southeast Area urban development project, so don’t be surprised if Minami-ku becomes the next “it” spot in Kyoto.
The exact opening date is still under wraps, but teamLab Biovortex Kyoto has already dropped a sneak peek of some pieces – and let’s just say, it’s enough to get any art lover buzzing. Here are a few highlights you can expect, featuring fresh and never-before-seen artworks.
Image credit: teamLab, Massless Amorphous Sculpture © teamLab * Reference Image
At first glance, it looks like a giant floating sculpture – but the Massless Amorphous Sculpture is actually made entirely from soap bubbles, water, and air. It drifts in the middle of the room, neither touching the floor nor the ceiling, constantly shifting and changing shape as it breaks apart and comes back together.
Think of it like a living thing, just like how our bodies are made of cells that keep us alive by taking in energy and releasing waste. It captures the magic of life itself – a beautiful, ever-changing pattern that exists because of the energy flowing through, creating art that feels alive, even though it’s made from something as simple as soap bubbles.
Image credit: teamLab, Massless Suns and Dark Suns © teamLab * Reference Image
At Massless Suns and Dark Suns, glowing orbs of light float all around you, looking like they’re made of solid light. But there’s no surface to touch, and no actual object there. Try reaching out, and the orb shines brighter, triggering nearby spheres to light up one after another, like a chain reaction.
As your eyes adjust, you’ll start spotting deep purple-blue spheres too.
These light and dark “suns” don’t physically exist. They only appear real because of how light, space, and your own perception interact in the moment. In true teamLab fashion, this piece is part visual illusion, part interactive experience, and all kinds of surreal.
Image credit: teamLab, Morphing Continuum © teamLab * Reference Image
The Morphing Continuum artwork looks like it’s constantly shifting – glowing shapes forming, stretching, and changing mid-air. But no matter how much it morphs, it somehow stays whole. It’s what teamLab calls a “High Order Sculpture,” living in the air without any physical mass. You can also try walking right through it, and even if it “breaks,” it naturally pulls itself back together.
It flips everything you thought you knew about objects, space, and even life. It’s not just an artwork you observe – it’s something you step into, become part of, and still walk away wondering, “Wait… what was that?”
Image credit: teamLab, Traces of Life © teamLab * Reference Image
In Traces of Life, you are the artwork. Every step you take leaves behind a glowing trail on the ground, like digital footprints that linger for a while before slowly fading away. As more people move through the space, their steps overlap and connect, creating one big swirling pattern – a visual memory of everyone who’s passed through. Without people, the room is just an empty space.
It kinda reminds us of the Digital Light Canvas by teamLab at MBS, where visitors colour in stencils of flowers and animals, scan them in, and watch their creations glide across the floor. Here, instead of scanned-in drawings, it’s your footsteps that leave a mark.
Image credit: teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, Kyoto @ teamLab
While ticket prices have not been released, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on – or better yet – adding to your bucket list already. Stay tuned to the teamLab Biovortex Kyoto website for the latest updates.
More fun things to do in Japan:
Cover image adapted from: teamLab, Morphing Continuum © teamLab * Reference Image
Everything you need to know about the viral Kodak Charmera keychain blind boxes.
A round-up of all of Team Singapore's wins and notable players at the recent SEA…
Here are all the best things to do this weekend in Singapore.
No, you don’t have to give up on scented candles.
Here’s all you need to know.
Some food for thought.