In this exquisite and fully-immersive installation, 2,300 flowers are suspended in a room and respond to the moment when a visitor enters their space. The blooms greet the person by moving towards them and eventually floating close above their head. This creates a small dome, and the viewer is then surrounded by a gorgeous sea of colorful vegetation.
The installation is the handiwork of teamLab, a collective made up of tech specialists based in Tokyo, Japan. They call it Floating Flower Garden, and it's part of a large-scale exhibition at Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.
TeamLab's interactive display allows a person to become completely one with the garden. The piece was inspired by a Zen koan (a parable) from Nanquan Puyuan, the founder of a famous monastery. As legend has it, Nanquan spent 30 years in a mountain retreat without leaving. At the governor's request, he finally descended and taught the residents living below. Nanquan's teachings include a lesson about the Zen mind and how humans and nature are one. They merge into a seamless fabric of life.
Floating Flower Garden was originally scheduled to close on March 1 but was extended until May 10 thanks to its popularity. And with these dazzling visuals, it's not hard to see why.
teamLab website
via [Spoon & Tamago and Faith is Torment]
