Abstract

This thesis considers the work of teamLab, a Japanese art collective that creates immersive and interactive installations using projection-based new media technology. An examination of teamLab’s exhibition teamLab Borderless (2018-2022), at the MORI Building Digital Art Museum in Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan, is the primary focus of this study. In this exhibition, teamLab claims to present a “borderless” world. The collective believes that the multisensory, co-creative experiences they present have the potential to foster connections between people. In order to better understand how teamLab’s exhibition invites visitors to rethink the way they interact with art, the significance of other people, and their perception of the gallery space, this thesis considers the experiential aspects of teamLab’s Borderless exhibition through the lens of ludic theory. This perspective explores how the shifting interpretation of play has influenced the way people partake in artistic experiences, particularly in the context of the culture industry’s “experience economy”. Through a formal analysis of key artworks highlighting the relationship between visitors and the design of teamLab’s installations, this thesis examines how immersive experiences affect the visitor’s sense of agency, both within the museum and in the digital domain of social media as well. By exploring the dynamics between visitors and the virtual environment in teamLab’s exhibition, this thesis proposes that that the collective’s work offers a renewed understanding of the importance of our connections to others and our environment.