Susumu Shingu: Capturing the Gentle Forces of Nature
Susumu Shingu’s wind sculptures are more than kinetic art — they are therapy for the soul.
Sense of Wander: ★★★★☆
One can’t help but be mesmerised by the graceful motion of Susumu Shingu’s Wings of Freedom, which infuses the air with a touch of poetry.
Taipei, Taiwan — Spontaneous, relaxed, and naive — these were the first words that came to mind as I wandered through COSMOS — Wind Traveler — Susumu Shingu.
I entered the exhibition knowing little about the Japanese artist and with no particular expectations. After all, I had yet to come across kinetic art that could rival the works of Alexander Calder that I first encountered more than 15 years ago.
I first heard about Susumu Shingu’s solo exhibition a few months ago when it created a buzz on social media. To celebrate Team Taiwan’s championship victory in the 2024 WBSC Premier12, the Fubon Art Museum offered free admission for 14 days. During this period, hundreds of people waited in long lines to enter. Without the media frenzy, I might have missed the exhibition altogether.
Once the crowds had thinned and the museum entrance was no longer packed, a quiet voice nudged me to visit. After all, there was little to lose. What I didn’t anticipate was the impression Susumu Shingu’s work would leave on me. For the first time, I witnessed how art could also have a therapeutic quality — simply by being in its presence.
A collection of miniature kinetic models crafted by Susumu Shingu throughout the years.
Susumu Shingu’s Little Cosmos captures the mysterious yet relative motions in the universe.
“The moment when a work truly comes to life is when it exists in the heart of the viewer.”
Feeling intrigued by how Susumu Shingu has so effectively harnessed the power of nature, I sought to learn more about the artist and his background.
It turns out that, much like myself, Shingu’s artistic journey was greatly influenced by his education in Italy. After studying at the University of Fine Arts in Tokyo, he continued his studies in Rome, where he shifted from figurative painting to abstract sculpture. This eventually led him to create sculptures powered by the wind, a shift he attributes to his admiration for the Italian Renaissance artist, Leonardo da Vinci.
Shingu’s works, like other forms of kinetic art, are meant not just to be viewed, but to be felt with the heart.
For those encountering kinetic sculpture for the first time, don’t be deceived by the bold shapes and colour blocks — their essence goes beyond mere appearance. Rather than focusing on the colours, compositions, and sculptural details, you must quiet your mind, turn your attention inward, and let your heart connect with the work. As the artist himself says, “The moment when a work truly comes to life is when it exists in the heart of the viewer.”
The metamorphosing shadows of Susumu Shingu’s Starry Night evoke the twinkling of stars in the night sky.
I would ask you to feel the wind in the air that whisper to Susumu Shingu’s creations — the invisible force behind their movement. I would invite you to experience the slow, rhythmic motion that seems spontaneous yet is carefully orchestrated. I would remind you to witness the interplay of light and shadow, and observe how these shifting shadows stretch across the ground, walls, and ceiling, subtly transforming their surroundings. At some point, you might come to realise that the motion of these sculptures is like a kind of morse code, carrying a message far greater than what one might imagine.
“At some point, you might come to realise that the motion of these sculptures is like a kind of morse code, carrying a message far greater than what one might imagine.”
Standing before Shingu’s work, one cannot help but wonder: is the artist trying to capture the natural world, or is he offering his own interpretation? “My works are ways of translating the messages of nature into visible movements,” explains Shingu in an interview.
This is perhaps why his wind sculptures feel so organic and alive: their constant shift mirrors nature’s quiet murmur — the whisper of the wind, the flow of the river, the rustling of leaves, and the blooming of flowers captured in time-lapse. As a viewer, Shingu’s art has a calming effect that gently soothes my nervous system.
The magic lies in how Shingu makes unseen natural forces visible, and even tangible in a way. One might attribute this effect to the artist’s craft, but I would argue that it is, in fact, the forces of nature at work. In his creation, Shingu captures the breath of the wind — an invisible force that gives motion, and therefore life, to his art.
I’m particularly drawn to an initiative called Wind Caravan — an endeavour undertaken by the artist to explore how humanity can live in harmony with nature and discover “what true happiness means through artistic activities and cultural exchange with local communities.”
For this project, 21 sculptures created by Susumu Shingu traveled to remote corners of the world, illustrating that the artist’s playground extends far beyond the confines of museums, parks, and gardens — it stretches to wherever men set foot.
Besides his kinetic art, Shingu is also the author of several illustrated books, whose stories fascinate me just as much as his sculptures do. They embody the childlike wonder seen in his wind-powered creations and carry the same daydream-like quality.
Thanks to Shingu, viewers to the exhibition are offered a refuge from the frenetic pace of modern life. And if there’s one thing we have in common with the artist, it’s that shared sense of curiosity and wonder for a world waiting to be explored.
Sandalino, a fictional creation of Susumu Shingu, exudes a charm similar to that of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio.
Reference:
Leleu, C. (2019, November 28). Susumu Shingu: An Ode to Nature. Pen. https://pen-online.com/arts/susumu-shingu-an-ode-to-nature/
COSMOS - Wind Traveler - Susumu Shingu runs through February 17, 2025 at the Fubon Art Museum in Taipei.