Saadiyat: Saadiyat Cultural District is set to welcome teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, one of four cultural institutions currently nearing completion in the District. The project, developed in collaboration with the Tokyo-based art collective teamLab, will join an impressive list of cultural landmarks including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Manarat Al Saadiyat, and Berklee Abu Dhabi. Eventually, the district will also feature the Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, creating one of the world’s greatest concentrations of cultural institutions.
According to Emirates News Agency, the combined museums’ narratives aim to create a global cultural platform that facilitates open exchange and shared understanding. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi will integrate seamlessly into this cultural narrative, offering a unique experience distinct from the district’s other institutions. The installations will vary with each visit, providing extraordinary art experiences that evolve over time.
Mohame
d Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), stated that Saadiyat Cultural District serves as a place for learning from the past, understanding the present, and envisioning the future. He described teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi as embodying a futuristic vision of art technology, sparking curiosity and imagination in its visitors.
DCT Abu Dhabi has collaborated with Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, to conceptualize and develop teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi alongside the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi. Both institutions will offer enriching encounters with the natural world from different perspectives and narratives.
The teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi experience spans 17,000 square meters, combining art, science, and technology. The building’s cloud-shaped architecture follows an art-first approach, with the scale of the installations dictating the structure’s proportions. Takashi Kudo, a founding member of te
amLab, explained that the museum was designed to wrap around the experience, ensuring the structure complements rather than confines the art.
The design and artworks draw inspiration from Tokyo’s pioneering technology, Abu Dhabi’s urban landscape, and its natural environment, emphasizing innovation, nature, and tradition. teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi aims to transcend the boundaries of physical art, allowing the relationship between the viewer and the artwork to extend beyond traditional confines.
