The Soul Trembles

The Grand Palais in Paris is set to host a breathtaking exhibition celebrating the poetic and evocative work of Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. Opening on December 11th, 2024, and running until March 19th, 2025, The Soul Trembles exhibition will provide visitors with an immersive journey into Shiota’s artistic universe. Co-organized with the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, it marks the largest presentation of Shiota’s work ever held in France, offering a preview of the Grand Palais’ full reopening in June 2025.

Chiharu Shiota is renowned for her monumental installations of interwoven wool threads. These intricate networks envelop everyday objects, such as chairs, beds, or pianos, transforming them into surreal and dreamlike environments. Her work explores themes of memory, temporality, and the fragility of human existence, inviting viewers into a deeply personal yet universal dialogue.

The exhibition will feature seven large-scale installations alongside sculptures, drawings, photographs, performance videos, and archival materials, providing a comprehensive overview of Shiota’s career, which spans over two decades. One highlight is her iconic thread installations, where viewers are physically and mentally immersed within vast webs of yarn, symbolizing connections and the passage of time. Another standout is Accumulation of Power, where countless keys dangle within a labyrinth of red threads, symbolizing collective memories and shared human experiences.

Shiota’s work draws heavily on her own life experiences, particularly moments of vulnerability and resilience. This is evident in The Key in the Hand, a monumental piece representing human potential and the stories that bind us, previously showcased at the Venice Biennale in 2015. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to experience Shiota’s mastery in blending sculpture, performance, and visual art.

Spanning over 1,200 square meters, the exhibition presents an engaging, multi-sensory journey that highlights the artist’s distinctive ability to create spaces of reflection and wonder. This collaboration between the Grand Palais and the Mori Art Museum underscores Shiota’s enduring global influence, as her works continue to tour internationally. Following its Paris debut, the exhibition will travel to Turin, Italy, in late 2025, ensuring her evocative artistry reaches even wider audiences.