Jacob Hashimoto's 'Giant Arc' at SFMOMA: 75,000 Kites as Architecture
Opening on August 22, 2026, at SFMOMA's Roberts Family Gallery, Jacob Hashimoto's 'Giant Arc' showcases nearly 75,000 meticulously crafted kites composed of bamboo and Japanese paper. The exhibition explores the evolution of kites from ancient China (475–221 BCE) to the Edo period in Japan, emphasizing various regional techniques, including Korea's bangpae-yeon shield kite. In Guatemala, the towns of Santiago Sacatepéquez and Sumpango produce enormous barriletes for the Day of the Dead, recognized as part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024. Contemporary artists such as Tyrus Wong, Tal Streeter, and Jackie Matisse have also engaged with kites. The Art Kites Project has collaborated with 100 artists, while Kite Club specializes in ripstop nylon kites. Additionally, Hai-Wen Lin's wearable kites will be on display at MAD until October 4, 2026.
Key facts
- Jacob Hashimoto's 'Giant Arc' opens August 22, 2026 at SFMOMA's Roberts Family Gallery.
- The installation includes nearly 75,000 hand-built kites made of bamboo and Japanese paper.
- Early kites are traced to ancient China between 475 and 221 BCE.
- Mikio Toki is a Japanese Edo kite maker preserving regional techniques.
- Korea's bangpae-yeon (shield kite) features a circular wind window for control.
- UNESCO added Guatemalan giant kite-making to its Representative List in 2024.
- Tyrus Wong flew a 100-foot centipede kite at Santa Monica State Beach after retiring from Warner Bros. in 1968.
- Tal Streeter's 1972 exhibition 'Kites: Red Line in the Sky' called kites 'flying paintings'.
- The Art Kites Project, initiated by Paul Eubel at Goethe-Institut Osaka in 1987, involved 100 artists including Rauschenberg and de Saint Phalle.
- Kite Club, led by Bertjan Pot, had a 2025 residency at Museum Voorlinden.
- Hai-Wen Lin's exhibition at the Museum of Art and Design in New York is on view through October 4, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Jacob Hashimoto
- Mikio Toki
- Tyrus Wong
- Tal Streeter
- Jackie Matisse
- Robert Rauschenberg
- Niki de Saint Phalle
- Bertjan Pot
- Liesbeth Abbenes
- Maurice Scheltens
- Hai-Wen Lin
- Paul Eubel
Institutions
- SFMOMA
- Roberts Family Gallery
- Warner Bros.
- Goethe-Institut Osaka
- Museum Voorlinden
- Museum of Art and Design
- UNESCO
- Japan Foundation, Sydney
- designboom
Locations
- San Francisco
- United States
- China
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Korea
- Santiago Sacatepéquez
- Guatemala
- Sumpango
- Santa Monica State Beach
- Osaka
- Europe
- Chicago
- New York
- Governor's Island
- NYC