The Figge Art Museum has boosted its contemporary collection with the acquisition of two large-scale, immersive digital installations by the internationally renowned Tokyo-based art collective teamLab.
The move underscores the downtown Davenport museum’s commitment to showcasing innovative art at the intersection of technology and creativity.
The new works – now on view in the Quad City Bank & Trust Grand Lobby and Wintergarden – invite visitors to interact with and become part of the art.
In the Grand Lobby, Proliferating Immense Life – Dawn and Dusk, A Whole Year per Year presents a stunning digital cascade of botanical forms that evolves with the seasons, the time of day, and the proximity of onlookers. The piece creates a dynamic, site-specific environment where digital flowers bloom, scatter, and respond to movement.
Adjacent in the Wintergarden, Universe of Water Particles is a mesmerizing virtual waterfall that flows through three-dimensional space. The installation mimics the physics and fluid dynamics of real water using computer-generated particles, dissolving the boundaries between nature and the viewer. The work is inspired by teamLab’s concept of “Ultrasubjective Space,” a self-coined term referring to the rendering of depth found in premodern Japanese painting.
“At the Figge, our mission is to bring art and people together,” Figge Executive Director Melissa Mohr said in a recent news release. “Only a small number of museums in the world hold pieces like these, and we’re thrilled to share them here in the Quad Cities.”
teamLab is an interdisciplinary collective comprising artists, programmers, engineers and mathematicians who explore the relationship between the self and the world through digital art.
The Figge said the acquisition was made possible by a generous gift from the estate of James W. Victor, a longtime financial adviser and philanthropist in the Quad Cities.
The works offer visitors an innovative way to explore complex themes like the cycle of life and interconnectedness. Moving forward, the museum plans to deepen engagement with programming, including digital art and coding classes and scholarly presentations.
