A global sensation, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi is almost ready to finally welcome guests.
The 17,000-square-metre multi-sensory experience on Saadiyat Island will open to the public on April 18, but The National got an early preview of what’s inside the highly anticipated digital art space.
TeamLab, an international art collective that began in Japan more than two decades ago, has become renowned for its distinct digital installations. It has locations around the world, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, China, the US and the Netherlands. Known for using technology such as laser projection and colourful lights, alongside smoke machines and reflective surfaces, the group creates a striking immersive experience for visitors who step into their interactive art venue.
There are several different installations at teamLab Phenomena, each with its own unique theme that transforms the space into a visually stunning environment. Some even display different art at different times, ensuring no two visits are ever exactly the same.
Upon entering the venue, I step into a dark lobby – intentionally dim so my eyes can adjust from the brightness outside. This is necessary, as all of the rooms I’ll walk through are more or less in the dark (and no flash photography is allowed). My group is given a briefing before our tour begins. We learn there are two areas in teamLab: dry and water. We'll need to take off our shoes in some rooms, some floors will be uneven and there's an area where the water is knee-deep (so women wearing abayas may want to plan accordingly).
It’s hard to describe what it’s like being at teamLab for someone (such as myself) who has never been. With that said, it's best to be prepared for a multi-sensory overload of sights, sounds, touch and even taste.
I don’t want to spoil too much about the installations inside, but each one is an experience. For example, there’s a room with special balloons that move with the wind but the wind is synced with the ethereal music playing in the space. When the song reaches a crescendo, the wind intensifies, sending the balloons flying everywhere.
Another room is awash in red light and features a massive black sphere that moves around. It’s an impressive visual sight that needs to be experienced in person to really be appreciated. There’s also an installation that uses several lasers that meet in the middle, creating stunning graphics that shift in time with soft music. Different colours and designs emerge, and I could spend all day watching its ever-changing motions.
Moving from the dry area, some installations require us to remove our socks and shoes as we step into a space where the water is knee-deep. I have to hike up my dress to avoid getting it soaked. The space feels otherworldly as there are several egg-shaped rocks that change colour in the water. With the addition of mirrored walls, the room feels infinite. For those who may want to skip an installation, there's the option to do so and move on to another one.
The rest of the venue is just as impressive, as we’re led through more rooms that showcase the teamLab philosophy of exploring the relationship between humans and the world through art. Although we finished going through all the installations in about two hours, this will vastly differ from person to person. It really depends on how long someone plans to stay and experience every room.
I left impressed with what I had just experienced. It’s hard not to feel a sense of childlike awe when the art moves around me and even responds to my presence. The music is often calming, evoking a sense of comfort while guiding me into each installation as if inviting me to slow down and take in my dream-like surroundings. It’s the kind of experience that everyone should discover – immersive, thoughtful and unlike anything else.
teamLab Phenomena opens on April 18 on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi; Tickets will cost Dh50 for ages four to 12; Dh115 for ages 13 to 17; and Dh150 for adults (ages 18 and above). They are available to book online
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Kanye%20West
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps