Forest of Flow and Light
teamLab, 2025, from the series Pillars that Dance with the Wind, 2023-, Interactive Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi
All life exists within the flow of matter and energy, and the flow itself creates and maintains its structure.
This differs fundamentally from objects that possess an independent, static, and stable structure, such as stones, concrete, or the artifacts humans have historically created.
The artwork does not stand by trapping air inside and relying on its internal pressure. The inlet and outlet are the same size, and air continuously flows through the inside. By that very flow, the artwork stands, maintaining its structure and existence. If the flow stops, the material remains, but the artwork ceases to exist.
Here, the object is not being moved by the flow. The flow itself creates the structure and gives rise to existence.
The artwork is strongly influenced by the environment, significantly changing its movement and height. As long as the environment that gives rise to existence is maintained and the flow continues, the artwork’s existence is maintained even whilst it constantly changes shape. The flow creates order from chaos.
It is continually moving, flexible, soft, and fragile.
