Description: “High-Speed Spinning Bounce Balls” are spherical objects that people can step on to bounce into the air. The spheres spin rapidly, but when people approach, they stop spinning and become stepable. If you step on spheres of the same color in succession, the inside of the sphere bursts open and spreads into the space. If you continue stepping on them, caterpillars are born. If you keep bouncing on spheres of the same color all the way to the end, all the spheres in the space burst open and many caterpillars are born. Work page: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/ew/collecting-forest-planets/planets/

Floating in the air, a colossal sculpture is born from a sea of foam, transcending the concept of mass. It neither sinks to the ground nor rises all the way to the ceiling, but drifts somewhere in the middle of the space. The outline of this floating sculpture’s existence is ambiguous; it can break apart into smaller pieces or merge together into a larger mass. Even if a person enters it with their whole body, its existence is maintained, and even if it is broken by people, it repairs itself. However, when the mass is destroyed beyond the range it can repair on its own, the repairs cannot keep up and it begins to collapse. And even if people try to push it or move it aside, they cannot move this sculpture; if people fan wind at it, the sculpture will scatter. No physical action by humans can even move this sculpture. Pebbles, and things humans have made up to now, are objects, and objects have stable structures in themselves. A pebble continues to exist even if placed in a sealed box cut off from the outside world. By contrast, a vortex born in the sea disappears instantly when moved into a closed box. In other words, a vortex does not maintain a stable structure of its own. A vortex is an existence within the flow created by its environment, formed by water that continuously flows from outside the vortex to inside, and from inside to outside. Sustained by the structured order generated by that flow, the vortex continues to exist and changes along with the flow. And the outline of its existence is ambiguous: both the vortex and the outside of the vortex are made of water, with no material difference at all. Instead of creating objects, by creating a special environment, existence is created through the order of energy generated by that environment. Let us call existence formed by this order of energy “Higher-Order Sculpture.” It cannot be separated from its environment and changes as the environment changes. It transcends the conventional understanding of existence based on objects, maintains its presence in midair, and has an ambiguous outline. Even if a person enters it with their whole body, its existence is maintained, and if it is broken, it repairs its own existence. It is a sculpture premised on an open system. In this space, the only matter that exists is water, air, and ordinary soap. By filling the space with foam, creating a singular environment, and generating an order of energy within it, a colossal mass is born from the sea of bubbles, rises up, and remains suspended in midair. In current biology, it is not possible to define life strictly, but for convenience, living things are called organisms if they are composed of cells, metabolize, and can self-replicate. In other words, all living things are made of cells. And all cells are enclosed by cell membranes composed of lipid bilayers. The outside of the bilayer is hydrophilic, the space between the layers is hydrophobic, and both the outside and inside of the enclosing sac are water. Soap bubbles are similarly enclosed by membranes made of lipid bilayers, and the bubbles that constitute this sculpture are structurally the same as cell membranes. However, unlike cells, the outside of the bilayer in a bubble is hydrophobic and the space between the layers is hydrophilic, so both the outside and inside of the sac are air. In other words, if a cell is a sac-like membrane in water, a bubble is a sac-like membrane in air. This sculpture is created from matter with the same structure as cells, the basic units of living organisms, and from the order of energy generated by the environment. Life, too, takes in matter and energy from outside as food, expels matter, and dissipates energy outward while forming ordered structures. Like a vortex, life is an existence within the flow of matter and energy created by the external environment, and the outline of its existence is ambiguous. The structure of life is the order of energy created by that flow, and life may be a miraculous phenomenon found within the flow of matter and energy. Artwork page: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/ew/masslesssculpture-kyoto/kyoto/

Description: An art piece created as the "Sea Room" at the Museum of Inhomogeneous Nature and People, located within Nagasaki Bana Resort Campground in Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture, using water-drop projection mapping. By combining a water-drop fountain performance by Water Pearl Co., Ltd. with an ultra-high-speed projector from Tokyo Electron Device Limited, the work achieves precise projection mapping onto a continuous stream of falling water droplets. This new technology, which has been patented internationally, makes it possible to display animations that smoothly move individual water droplets up and down—something that could not be achieved with conventional Water Pearl installations using strobe lighting. These water droplets are real water that can be touched.

One of the interactive artworks created around the theme of engaging with nature and expanding physicality, housed in the “Museum of Inhospitable Nature and Human,” established in Bungotakada City, Oita Prefecture. This work is conceived as a room where visitors can play with sunlight. As visitors walk through the room, the small openings in the ceiling automatically open and close, enveloping their bodies in light, while the patches of sunlight on the floor constantly change shape, like the waxing and waning of the moon, in response to the opening and closing of those openings. The viewer’s position is detected by sensors, and only the small openings on the side facing the sun are activated. In addition, the interior is adjusted by analyzing weather data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, so that the most suitable effect is produced at any given moment: on sunny days, mist fills the room and shafts of light can be seen streaming down to the floor. Moreover, piano notes sound when the small openings open, and a piano piece is performed as visitors walk through the room. In this work, the technology is not directly presented; instead, it is used solely to capture sunlight and deliver it directly onto the viewer’s skin, allowing them to feel nature. Rather than artificial light, natural light is delivered to the viewer, evoking not only sight but also the warmth that light holds, and designed to sharpen the senses and awareness of those who experience it.

Japan’s first national facility dedicated to sharing the history and culture of the Ainu people, Upopoy, opened in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, on Sunday, July 12, 2020. It consists of a folk museum, an interactive field museum, and an Ainu coexistence park, and has drawn attention as a base for reviving and developing the fading Ainu culture. What JKD was in charge of this time was the highlight of Upopoy’s nighttime program starting on Saturday, July 18, 2020: a large-scale show combining projection mapping and lighting. It depicts the Ainu creation myth through a delicate yet dynamic hand-drawn full animation running for just under 14 minutes, synchronized with soul-stirring music and sound design. The visual work is projected mainly onto the walls of the dome-shaped Experience Exchange Hall, as well as the surrounding hills, river, and statues. Lighting placed throughout the vast grounds is tightly synchronized with the music and mapped visuals, creating a mystical spatial experience that draws viewers into the story. Among the audiovisual works JKD has produced so far, this is one of the top three. The music is by OKI, a musician internationally acclaimed for his work with the OKI Dub Ainu Band, and Kuniyuki Takahashi, also based in Sapporo and known worldwide for his activities. To pursue truly authentic expression, the four animators, Ryoji Yamada, Hana Ono, Yutaro Kubo, and Tatsuhiro Ariyoshi, took part in this serious collaboration. The opening and ending motion was handled by Shotaro Tomiyama and Ko Kudo of the JKD visual team, and the overall visual direction was by Shane Lester. The story unfolds through the Ainu creation myth in a vast site facing a beautiful lake. We believe we were able to create an experience that draws viewers in. If you ever have the chance to visit Hokkaido, please be sure to see it.

A space live entertainment project that opens up the universe to everyone. We want to open up the stage of space, where only astronauts have been able to play an active role until now, to everyone through the power of the internet and design. With that vision, we established a live broadcast studio in Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module aboard the International Space Station, to connect space and Earth in both directions. While gazing at the blue Earth, people around the world freely express themselves and talk about KIBO. Together with artists and companies, we will co-create this entirely new borderless form of entertainment.

This work, in which players dressed as characters from the game appear within a fully CG-built world, was a new attempt at a concept movie for an e-sports team.

This serial work features characters that move in tiny, fussy motions, created using pixel art techniques. After learning about the existence of “conveyor belt sushi,” these pieces of sushi throw themselves into training to master somersaults. The earnest, energetic sushi each have their own distinct personalities, and their expressions and gestures are delicately rendered within the limited grid of pixel art.

A short animated series featuring the character “Dokodoko Usagi,” rendered in pixel art. Set to catchy phrases like “Dokodoko soft pudding~,” the rabbits bustle about in a flurry of activity. This work represents one of the milestones in exploring the casual mass production of content that can be enjoyed by a wide range of viewers.

Malice appears suddenly. As if in the blink of an eye, as fickle as a fluttering insect. One day, a young desert hermit suddenly kills a winged insect that appears before him. An elephant watches him intently. From that day on, the boy is haunted by the shadow of the winged insect.

A seasonal short animated film released once a month for one year, from 2020 to 2021, on the official website of the fashion brand 45R.

A work packed with playfulness and interest within the framework of loop animation. Pay attention to how the mood of the imagery gradually changes in step with the passage of time.

dancer film

A work that mashes up Google Earth Studio and live-action footage of Shibuya to create a street scene.

Production of the opening movie for a virtual fashion show created through a collaboration between contemporary artist Luyang and Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning. Side logo movies for the virtual fashion show and environmental map data for the VR space were also created. Created using Cinema4D and Marvelous Designer

Opening title sequence for a new television program that broadcasts information about the Setouchi region.