PARIS.- A fleet of brightly painted banners will rise above courtyards, parks, vineyards and coastal landscapes across France in 2026 as part of an ambitious collaborative project inspired by Japanese artist Susumu Shingu.
Known as Genki-nobori, the long, windsock-like works were created by around 100 children and young people working with professional artists through La Source Garouste, a French nonprofit that uses art to support children facing social, educational or family difficulties. Together, the participants produced 100 individual banners, transforming drawing, painting and writing into a large-scale public artwork animated by the wind.
The project will travel to several prominent cultural and heritage sites, beginning with presentations in Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Paris before continuing to Château La Coste in Provence, the Domaine de Villarceaux in the French Vexin and the seafront at Dinard.
Messages of hope carried by the wind
Shingu conceived the Genki-nobori project following the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The works reinterpret the traditional Japanese koinobori—carp-shaped windsocks commonly flown to celebrate children.
Rather than reproducing the familiar fish form, the Genki-nobori use long lengths of white fabric as surfaces for images, colors and, in some cases, written messages. Once suspended outdoors, they twist, expand and collapse in response to changing air currents.
The banners were imagined as messages of hope entrusted to the wind, reflecting Shingu’s long-standing interest in art as a way of connecting people, landscapes and natural forces.
The project is being developed by La Source Garouste with the support of Galerie Jeanne Bucher Jaeger, which has represented Shingu for nearly two decades.
Between February and May 2026, the association’s 10 regional centers organized workshops led by 10 professional artists. Each workshop paired an artist with an education specialist, creating a setting intended to be less formal than school and more open to experimentation, cooperation and individual expression.
The young participants explored painting, drawing, writing and other techniques while following the artistic framework established by Shingu. The result is a body of work that shares a common structure but preserves the distinct visual language of each child.
Sixty banners fill the Hôtel de la Marine
From June 24 through August 24, 2026, approximately 60 Genki-nobori will be installed in the ceremonial courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
The historic building reopened to the public in 2021 following a major restoration by France’s Centre des monuments nationaux. Originally home to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, the institution responsible for the furnishings of the royal residences, it later housed the French Ministry of the Navy.
Within the building’s formal neoclassical architecture, the children’s banners will introduce color, movement and unpredictability. Their forms will continuously change with the air circulating through the courtyard, briefly turning the historic monument into a living landscape shaped by weather and imagination.
The installation is not intended as a static display. The banners depend upon movement for their full visual effect, becoming monumental only when lifted and activated by the wind.
From a Provençal vineyard to the Vexin landscape
The project will move to Château La Coste from September 3 to 30, where 70 banners will be shown at two locations across the estate.
The Provençal vineyard has become internationally known for its collection of contemporary sculpture and architecture, with works integrated throughout its landscape. The Genki-nobori will enter into dialogue with those existing installations, as well as with a recently installed monumental work by Shingu.
From October 10 through October 25, 80 banners will be presented at the Domaine de Villarceaux as part of the site’s “Biennale du vent,” scheduled for October 17.
Located within the Vexin français Regional Natural Park, Villarceaux combines historic buildings, gardens, water features and open countryside. La Source Garouste has operated one of its regional centers there for more than 20 years, giving the exhibition a particularly close connection to the association’s work with local children.
The project will also appear at Parc Ducontenia in Saint-Jean-de-Luz from June 6 to 20. Installed near the entrance and along the park’s paths, the banners will accompany visitors as they move through the public landscape.
A final coastal presentation is planned in Dinard from October 10 through November 10, timed to coincide with activities surrounding the departure of the Route du Rhum sailing race. The works will be mounted on poles at the Bec de la Vallée, facing the sea near the Plage de l’Écluse.
Susumu Shingu and the invisible energies of nature
Shingu began his career as a painter in Japan and Rome during the 1960s. His move toward kinetic sculpture reportedly began when a painting suspended from a tree started moving in the wind.
That experience led him to develop an artistic language centered on invisible natural forces, including air, water, light and gravity. His sculptures often appear delicate despite their large scale, responding to their surroundings rather than dominating them.
Throughout his career, Shingu has worked with leading figures in architecture, fashion and design, including Renzo Piano, Tadao Ando and Issey Miyake. His 2000 project Wind Caravan carried kinetic sculptures through different landscapes around the world while incorporating cultural exchanges and drawings by children.
The Genki-nobori project continues that combination of environmental awareness, collective participation and international exchange. Shingu is expected to visit France during the summer to see the works produced by the children.
Founded in 1991 by Élizabeth and Gérard Garouste, La Source Garouste operates at the intersection of artistic education and social support. In 2025, the organization carried out 376 projects with the participation of 232 professional artists, reaching more than 10,000 children and young people.
A publication documenting the workshops and the installations across France will be produced following the conclusion of the project.
