Kinetic sculptor Susumu Shingu at Japan Society in New York

Japan Society in New York relaunches its summer exhibition season with the first solo museum exhibition in the United States of acclaimed kinetic sculptor Susumu Shingu (b. 1937). The joyful exhibition features mesmerizing sculptures that make visible the invisible forces of wind, heat, and gravity, while encouraging a heightened awareness of the natural environment. Shingu’s application of biomimicry—drawing inspiration from natural elements and processes—appears in both the forms and the dynamic movements of his sculptures, which evoke insects, birds, plants, and more.

Celebrating Shingu’s long and impactful career, Susumu Shingu: Elated! encourages viewers to contemplate our changing climate while appreciating summer breezes, inside and beyond the gallery walls.

“Elated! honors the artist’s remarkable six-decade career exploring movement, nature, and environmental harmony through kinetic sculpture,” Japan Society Gallery Senior Director Michele Bambling said. “Bringing together his work in art and storytelling, this exhibition invites deep engagement—encouraging audiences of all ages to reflect, play, and discover. As part of the Gallery’s reinvigorated annual summer program, this presentation creates space for both connection and contemplation and affirms our commitment to showcasing artistic voices that resonate across cultures and generations.”

Since the 1960s, Susumu Shingu (b. 1937) has designed and engineered kinetic sculptures that enliven parks, plazas, and public spaces around the globe. Originally trained in oil painting, Shingu later studied shipbuilding technology and aerodynamics to help produce the complex movements of his three-dimensional artworks. His multidisciplinary practice has resulted in collaborations with visionary architects such as Renzo Piano (b. 1937) and I.M. Pei (1917-2019), and creative figures including designer Issey Miyake (1938-2022) and choreographer Jiří Kylián (b. 1947).

Installed in locations ranging from the Tuileries Gardens in Paris to the Mongolian steppe, the sand dunes of Ceará, Brazil, and the frozen surface of Lake Inari in the Arctic Circle of Finland, Shingu’s outdoor works activate both manmade architecture and the Earth’s natural environment. His traveling outdoor exhibition Windcircus completed a U.S. tour in 1988, visiting sites in New York; Fall River, Massachusetts; Chicago; Boston; and Los Angeles. Shingu has notably created several site-specific, monumental sculptures permanently installed in New York City: Dialog with the Sun (1995), Distant Sky (2012), and Rainbow Leaves (2021).

Echoing his site-specific kinetic sculptures around New York, Susumu Shingu: Elated! features the artist’s whimsical indoor sculptures with installations that respond to Japan Society’s architecture and invite audiences into meditative encounters. On view are suspended “superlight” sculptures made from wire, cloth, and carbon fiber, standing works that evoke plants and celestial bodies, and miniature scale models that offer a glimpse into Shingu’s creative process.

Greeting visitors in Japan Society’s foyer, Silent Water (2024) serves as a focal point of the exhibition. Water drawn from the artificial garden pool in Japan Society’s foyer sprays within the interior facets of the metallic form, causing its two halves to spin clockwise and counterclockwise. As the water trickles downward, it creates quiet ripples in the pond. Reminiscent of the artist’s early water-powered sculptures shown at the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka, this recent sculpture builds on Shingu’s career-long interest in moving three-dimensional works with water.

Shingu has been designing “superlight” sculptures since 1984. These suspended sculptures— each weighing no more than 22 pounds—visualize breezes and air currents running through Japan Society’s enclosed gallery space. Each sculpture reflects light and casts abstract shadows, creating real and ethereal impressions. A trio of standing sculptures will also animate Japan Society’s atrium. Set in motion by breezes from hidden fans, they remain anchored firmly on the ground while their upper components turn, flip, and spin, mimicking the movements of flower petals, leaves, and the moon.

Offering a window into Shingu’s creative practice, the exhibition also includes the artist’s sketches and maquettes. The construction of miniature scale models is a critical initial stage in Shingu’s artistic process. Each of the models included in the exhibition—on view for the first time—was used to design, engineer, and fine-tune realized sculptures.

Inspired by a conversation with Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), Shingu wrote and illustrated his first children’s book, Strawberries, in 1975. Since then, the artist has become a prolific author of children’s books, which have been translated into multiple languages and span topics such as the life cycles of fruit, insects, marine life, butterflies, and environmental themes. As part of the exhibition, a selection of these books will be available for readers of all ages to peruse.

Shingu will give an artist talk at Japan Society on Tuesday, June 17 as part of the exhibition’s opening reception. Japan Society will also host a Family Art Day associated with the exhibition on Saturday, June 21.

ABOUT JAPAN SOCIETY GALLERY

Since 1971, Japan Society Gallery has been the premier institution in the United States for the display and interpretation of Japanese art and culture in a global context. Through groundbreaking exhibitions and related programs, the Gallery cultivates a broader understanding and appreciation of Japan’s contributions to global artistic heritage; explores the artistic interconnections Japan shares with Asia, the U.S., Latin America, and Europe; and celebrates the diversity of Japanese visual expression from prehistoric times to the present day.

ABOUT JAPAN SOCIETY

Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (絆) – forging deep connections to bind people together. We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. In over 100 years of work, we’ve inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business, and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S.

DIRECTIONS:

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First and Second Avenues 4 (accessible by the 4/5/6 and 7 subway lines at Grand Central or the E and M subway lines at 53rd St. and Lexington Ave.).

GALLERY HOURS:

Thursdays & Fridays: 11am–7 pm

Saturdays & Sundays: noon–7pm

ADMISSION:

$15 nonmembers $10 students and seniors Admission is always free for members, patrons with disabilities and an accompanying Personal Care Assistant. There is an additional $1.00 service charge for all non-member ticket types purchased.