Tadashi Kawamata Occupies Palais de Tokyo with Precarious Timber Interventions for Ruinart

Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, selected for Ruinart's 2026 edition of 'Conversations with Nature', stages a temporary occupation of the Palais de Tokyo from February 13 to 23. The exhibition features two major interventions: 'Tornado', a spiralling vortex of reclaimed wood suspended above the stairwell, and 'The Nest', a precarious bird shelter clinging to an exterior column fifteen metres above ground. Inside, preparatory models and sketches trace his process. The presentation marks the opening chapter of Kawamata's collaboration with Ruinart, which will extend to the Maison's historic address at 4 rue des Crayères in Reims, where three permanent works—'Observatory', 'Nest', and 'Tree Hut'—will be installed. The 'Observatory' is a six-metre wooden tower shaped like an inverted champagne bottle. The commission also includes presentations across Ruinart's 30 global art fair partners. Kawamata, who first gained traction representing Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1982, has cultivated his site-responsive practice for over five decades, using reclaimed wood and exposed seams. A limited-edition collector's piece houses a jeroboam of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs in a hollowed wooden nest.