The reopening of one of the galleries at the Grand Palais—the Parisian steel and glass landmark built for the 1900 Universal Exposition and now nearing the end of extensive four-year restoration—is marked by the highly anticipated exhibition The Soul Trembles by Berlin-based Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, whom STIR had the opportunity to interview.

Curated by Mami Kataoka and co-organised with the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, where Kataoka serves as director, the exhibition presents a comprehensive body of work that meticulously traces Shiota’s artistic journey since the beginning of her career in the 1990s. Among the works on display, from her early paintings during her university studies in Japan to her years as a student in Europe alongside Marina Abramovic and Rebecca Horn, to the blossoming of her career in Germany and numerous collaborations on theatrical set designs, seven large-scale installations stand out. Often recreated from works presented in earlier exhibitions and continuously evolving while also becoming archetypal, these works fill the Grand Palais' galleries, crafted with Shiota's signature red thread.

Born in Osaka in 1972 and based in Berlin since 1999, Shiota began experimenting with red thread at the turn of the millennium, first by knitting in her room in Berlin and then during a performance in Iceland. This exploration is documented in the photograph Untitled (1999), which reflects on the transformative power of a landscape shaped by lava eruptions. Over the years, her use of thread has expanded across a range of mediums, including installation, sculpture and even painting. This artistic hallmark reached an iconic pinnacle at the 2015 Venice Biennale with The Key in the Hand, featuring a boat entwined in a red thread that mesmerised audiences within the Japanese Pavilion.

Threads become tangled, intertwined, broken off, unravelled. They constantly reflect a part of my mental state, as if they were expressing the state of human relationships. – Chiharu Shiota

Nearly a decade later, the installations at the Grand Palais showcase Shiota’s meticulous craftsmanship and meditative approach to sculpting space. In Where Are We Going? (2017-2024) and Uncertain Journey (2016-2024), intricate threads emerge from vessels, symbolising their potential to guide us toward new directions and trajectories. In Reflection of Space and Time (2018), threads drape over garments, subtly blurring our perception, while in Accumulation – Searching for the Destination (2014-2024), they elevate suitcases, leading us on a journey through an indefinite memory lane.

Through the rhythmic repetition of gestures required to build these cocoons—which typically take two weeks and up to 10 assistants to weave—the artist seems to crystallise time, ultimately dissolving it within the entanglement of her threads.

Yet, beyond its material dimension, the exhibition succeeds in rendering a spectrum of intangible emotions tangible, along with a series of existential questions. Shiota masterfully transforms her threads and the objects they envelop into an endless process of semiosis. This is how we begin to wonder about the lost lives evoked by the charred chairs in In Silence (2002-2024) or the perspectives that the aged windows in Inside Outside (2009-2024) invite us to confront. At times, it is the abandoned objects Shiota collected from the streets of Berlin for Connecting Small Memories (2019-2024) that resonate—a fragment of memory, or a small remnant placed in our path by the serendipity of life.

“Threads become tangled, intertwined, broken off, unravelled. They constantly reflect a part of my mental state, as if they were expressing the state of human relationships," Shiota wrote on the walls of the Grand Palais, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the sensations stirred by these immense cocoons. Without providing definitive answers to deliberately broad and elusive questions, Shiota encourages us to engage in a dialogue with our emotions and embrace introspection. Yet, this intimate exploration is never purely individual. As we confront a shared history and the universal significance of objects and memories, these existential questions also highlight the bonds and strength of our collective experience.

Shiota has often stated that her artworks are open worlds, allowing for unrestricted interpretation. Though they may stem from personal memories and experiences, they are intended as expansive reservoirs of perception, fostering self-awareness and intuition.

To guide us through these works, we asked the artist a few questions about the pieces displayed at the Grand Palais.

Giulia Zappa: The intricate weaving of threads throughout the space evokes the notion of mental architecture. Can the neural structure be disentangled from the emotional dimension—or from the patient gesture that shaped it? In the case of two installations at the Grand Palais, Where are we going? and Uncertain Journey, toward which mental dimension do the boats guide us and what journey does the exhibition lead us on?

Chiharu Shiota: The threads in my installations represent the connections between people. The thread itself can be tangled, cut, or broken off. In Where Are We Going? and Uncertain Journey, the boats symbolise the journey of life. They don’t give us clear answers, but they make us think about the emotional and mental paths we take. The boats guide us, they always go forward, but the direction is uncertain. The exhibition invites the visitor to reflect on their own journey, to face uncertainty and to accept that we may never fully understand where we’re going.

Giulia: How do objects serve as a medium to evoke presence in absence? Is their archetypal essence - as a dress, a window, or a suitcase - more meaningful than the memories of events or places they carry within them?

Chiharu: These objects like the dress, shoes, suitcases, keys, or windows are more than the items themselves—they hold our existence because they accompany us in our daily life and therefore accumulate our memories and emotions. They are reminders of people, places and moments that are no longer here. Every object represents a person and a life lived. At the same time, these objects can evoke similar feelings or memories of the visitors. 

Giulia: The exhibition showcases your early explorations in performance and body art. What is the common thread - the fil rouge - that leads you back to the beginnings of your career?

Chiharu: The common thread in my work is about connection—how we are linked to each other and our own emotions. In my early performances, I used my body to express feelings and experiences directly. However, I realised that I wanted to expand my personal emotions to something more universal and when I inserted my own body it was too much about myself. I want to highlight our connection. Everything is tied together. The main idea is about presence in absence: how we move through the world, leave traces behind and connect with others.

The Soul Trembles, open to visitors until March 19, 2025, marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Grand Palais. Alongside the gallery showcasing Shiota’s work, the venue now features the expansive nave, which was inaugurated during the 2024 Olympic Games. The full restoration of the Grand Palais is expected to open in June 2025. If you would like to read more about Chiharu Shiota's practice, go here and here.