TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, the capital’s newest art attraction, will open in the Saadiyat Cultural District on April 18. It will merge art, science and technology through exhibitions across 17,000 square metres that engage sight, sound and touch, according to teamLab. It says the ever-changing installations will seamlessly blend with the architecture, making each visit unique.
But who and what is teamLab? And how did they become an important name in the art world?
Who is teamLab?
Japanese engineering students Toshiyuki Inoko and Shunsuke Aoki, along with three other classmates, founded teamLab in 1998, while they were studying at the University of Tokyo. The group called themselves “ultra-technologists” and consisted of artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects.
During the first 10 years of their project, teamLab made little profit, getting more popular with the growth of smartphone and social media use in the 2010s. The group got their big break in 2011 when Japanese artist Takashi Murakami invited them to make their international debut at the Singapore biennale.
By 2014, teamLab’s work had grabbed the attention of New York’s Pace Gallery, which began promoting the collective’s work and continues to do so.
What is teamLab?
TeamLab’s work centres on using technology such as laser projection and colourful lights, alongside smoke machines and reflective surfaces, to create an immersive experience for visitors.
The group uses these and other methods to transform galleries and large rooms. Their work often explores the concept of borders and space, how far the eye can see and what it can recognise in the manufactured space.
For teamLab, art is a living, breathing experience, one that is all around us, and that can be felt vividly in their spaces. Images of everything from universes to gardens are projected around a room, over the ceiling and the walls, bathing visitors in a world of colour.
TeamLab describes its exhibitions as “body-immersive”, requiring a visitor to use all of their senses, including touch, to experience the art. At its exhibition in Tokyo, a section requires visitors to remove their shoes and walk barefoot on a grassy surface to get a fuller experience.
Where is teamLab?
Today, the group has permanent exhibitions in many cities around the world, including Tokyo, Jeddah, Macau, Osaka, Singapore, Okinawa and Valencia. TeamLab Planets Tokyo holds the Guinness World Record as the most visited museum (in the single art group category), after it recorded 2,504,264 visitors between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
TeamLab continues to host temporary exhibitions while expanding its permanent spaces. This year, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi will open, while teamLab Borderless Hamburg is set to open next year. Singapore is the country with the most teamLab exhibitions outside Japan with five.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
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How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
