TAKASHI MURAKAMI UNVEILS LIFE-SIZE “ARHAT” ROBOT AT MORI ART MUSEUM

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami has revealed a full-size animatronic version of himself as part of his Five Hundred Arhats exhibition, currently on view at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum.

The robot is dressed as a Buddhist monk, but there’s more. Its head splits open to reveal a second Murakami face hidden inside, softly chanting the Heart Sutra as its mechanical eyes shift from side to side. The eerie effect blurs the line between spiritual icon and futuristic machine.

Created in collaboration with special effects artist Amazing JIRO, the robot draws from traditional 8th-century Buddhist statues. In this updated form, it represents Murakami as the “501st Arhat” ,a fictional enlightened figure offering healing to a suffering modern world.

This new work continues Murakami’s long-standing exploration of religion, self-representation, and the fusion of art and technology. It also raises questions about the future of spiritual experience in an increasingly digital age.

The exhibition is now open to the public.