Humans learn about the world through interaction with others and by sharing experiences. Adults and children will have a chance to co-create their own worlds at the new permanent exhibition hall of teamLab in Shenzhen through eight forms of multimedia installations.

At “Graffiti Nature — Mountains and Valleys, Red List,” visitors to the workshop can use their imaginations to draw whatever creatures come to their minds, scan the pictures by machine, and the images will then appear under their feet. If the creature you draw eats other living things, its number in the space will increase. On the other hand, if it does not eat enough, it will die. If it is eaten by other creatures, it will disappear. This artwork is based on the IUCN Red List and depicts local endangered wildlife and plants.

A visitor immerses herself in “Graffiti Nature — Mountains and Valleys, Red List” at the teamLab exhibition at C Future City. Photos by Lin Songtao

Inspired by the relationship of fruit and honey bees, a playground-like slide where “fruit” grows is created at the exhibition. Visitors become the sunlight and when they ride the slide and their bodies collide with the balls on the slope, their “sunlight energy” will be transferred to the balls, which then go flying off in all directions. When the balls collide with the fruit, the fruit will begin to grow. Blue balls represents water: When this ball hits the seeds, they sprout and blossom. When a yellow honey bee ball hits the flowers, they are pollinated, and the flowers become fruit. When the fruit is hit by a ball, new seeds are sown, leading to new lives.

With its background of ancient Chinese pictographs, the “Story of the Time When Gods Were Everywhere” presents a panorama of living space. When people touch the characters that represent mountains, trees, birds, etc. that are projected on the wall, a story is born. The objects that emerge from the symbols influence one another and are influenced by the actions of other people. For example, birds rest on a tree; goats will flee when they see dogs.

“Story of the Time When Gods Were Everywhere”

People jumping on different shapes and colors on the bouncy water floor at the “Hopscotch for Geniuses: Bounce on the Water” installation will change the view surrounding them.

“Hopscotch for Geniuses: Bounce on the Water”

Moreover, visitors can turn a light balls area into an orchestra hall by rolling the balls as they change colors and sound; they can play with the little people on a table; and create their own block towns at the exhibition.

Established in 2001, teamLab is an international art collective of a group of specialists, including artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects. Its collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology and the natural world. It hopes to turn individual creative acts into co-creative activities in which people freely work together.

The teamLab exhibitions have been held in cities worldwide, including New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Beijing and Melbourne. The teamLab museums and permanent exhibitions include teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets in Tokyo, teamLab Borderless Shanghai and teamLab SuperNature Macao.

Time: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. (Sun.-Thur.), 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.), last entry before 9 p.m., closed every second Tuesday of each month

Tickets: 88 yuan (early bird tickets, valid to buy today), 158 yuan (standard tickets)

Venue: 3/F, C Future City, Futian District (中洲灣一期購物中心三層)

Metro: Line 9 to Xiasha Station (下沙站), Exit B