Selected Films, Videos and Documentaries
Transfert
Tadashi Kawamata, Transfert
Saché-Tours, 1994
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
30 min
This film was made on the occasion of the exhibition Transfert, organised by the Centre for Contemporary Creation in Tours and the Calder Workshop from October 22, 1994, to January 15, 1995.
Bridge Walkway
Tadashi Kawamata
Bridge Walkway, Barcelona, 1996
Film by MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
1:30 min
This video documents Kawamata’s installation Bridge Walkway at the MACBA Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona as part of the group exhibition Miradas (sobre el Museo).
Le passage des chaises
Tadashi Kawamata, Le Passage des chaises, Paris, 1997
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
14 min
This documentary presents the ephemeral work created by Kawamata at the Saint-Louis Chapel of the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, as part of the Festival d’Automne.
Relocation
Tadashi Kawamata, Relocation
London, 1997
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
5 min
This short film documents Kawamata’s project Relocation created outside the Serpentine Gallery as part of Inside Out, a series of site-specific interventions featuring various international artists, organised by the gallery during its building renovation.
Work in progress, Zug & Zuoz
Tadashi Kawamata
Work in progress, Zug & Zuoz, 1997
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
6 min
This film presents two projects by Kawamata in Switzerland: a public installation in Zug, and a commission for the Castell Zuoz Hotel.
Le chaises de traverse
Tadashi Kawamata, Les chaises de traverse, Metz-Delme, 1998
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
26 min
This documentary presents Kawamata two site-specific, monumental installations at the Centre d’Art Contemporain, La Synagogue de Delme, and the Hôtel Saint-Livier in Metz.
Sur la voie
Tadashi Kawamata
Sur la voie, Evreux, 2000
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
26 min
This documentary presents Kawamata’s monumental work installed in Place du Général de Gaulle in Évreux in May 2000, on the occasion of the Évreux Biennial “Les Passavents.”
Barquitos
Tadashi Kawamata, Barquitos Valencia, 2003
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
26 min
Documentary on the installation Barquitos created for the group exhibition Micro-Utopias held during the second edition of the Valencia Biennial.
Bridge & Archives
Tadashi Kawamata
Bridge & Archives, Moyland , 2003
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
26 min
This documentary presents Kawamata’s bridge installation at Museum Schloss Moyland, connecting the Kawamata exhibition in the hall of the Neue Vorburg to the museum housing the Joseph Beuys Archives.
Détours, des tours
Tadashi Kawamata
Détours, des tours
Thiers-Montélimar, 2005
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 26 min
This documentary presents the installations created by Kawamata at the contemporary art centres Le Creux de l’Enfer in Thiers and the Château des Adhémar in Montélimar.
Work in progress
Tadashi Kawamata Work in progress, 2005
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions
52 min
A film following Kawamata through Tokyo, New York, and Paris, while the artist personally walks us through his work — from his early paintings in his studio in Japan to his monumental public installations.
Mémoire en demeure
Tadashi Kawamata
Mémoire en demeure
Saint-Thélo, 2006
Film by Gilles Coudert and Damien Faure, a.p.r.e.s éditions, 60 min
This film documents Kawamata’s two-year-long project involving the renovation of a group of former weavers’ houses, located opposite the Musée des Toiles in the village of Saint-Thélo in Brittany..
Xiringuito, Mataró
Tadashi Kawamata
Xiringuito
Can Xalan, Mataró, 2006
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 15 min
This film presents Kawamata’s installation Xiringuito at the Can Xalant in Mataró, Spain, in 2006.
Elevage en fut, Château de Fraissé
Tadashi Kawamata
Elevage en fut, Château de Fraissé, 2006
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 15 min
This film documents Tadashi Kawamata’s installation, “Elevage en fût” (Barrel Breeding), a site‑specific project created in 2006 for the Château de Fraissé‑des‑Corbières, located in the Corbières region of southern France.
Gandamaison
Tadashi Kawamata
Gandamaison
Versailles, 2008
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 30 min
This documentary presents Kawamata’s intervention at La Maréchalerie – Centre d’Art Contemporain, Versailles, created from an accumulation of 5,000 reclaimed fruit and vegetable crates.
Tree Hut New York
Tadashi Kawamata Tree Hut in Madison Square Park New York, 29 September 2008
Video by AP Archive
2:19 min
This video features an interview with Kawamata on the occasion of his public installation in New York’s Madison Square Park in 2008, where he created a dozen tree houses perched high among the branches
Berlin Tree Huts
Tadashi Kawamata
Berlin Tree Huts
Berlin, 2009
Video by Vernissage TV
6 min
This video includes an interview with Kawamata while he works on his Tree Huts installation at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and the adjacent Tiergarten, on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific Weeks in Berlin.
The Camargue Projects
Tadashi Kawamata The Camargue Projects
Arles, 2010
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 15 min
This video documents the initial preparation of the project Les Sentiers de l’Eau, created by Kawamata in the Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue as part of the Nouveaux Commanditaires initiative of the Fondation de France.
Project Burchtheuvel
Tadashi Kawamata
Project Burchtheuvel
Borgloon, 2011
Video by Z33 – art in public space
4:10 min
In this video, Kawamata presents his project created at the historic location Burchtheuvel in Borgloon. In September 2011, he built a large outdoor wooden structure together with twenty students of visual art, architecture, and interior design from MAD Faculty during a two-week workshop.
Expand BankArt
Tadashi Kawamata
Expand BankArt
Yokohama Kanagawa, 2012
Video by tvk Communications
3:32 min
This video presents Kawamata’s project at BankART Studio NYK, engaging both the interior and exterior of the building. Using a large number of wooden components salvaged from the nearby redevelopment of the Kaigan-dori housing complex, the installation establishes a dialogue with the surrounding waterfront.
Under the Water
Tadashi Kawamata Under the Water
Mennour, Paris, 2012
Video by Mennour
2:15 min
Video of Tadashi Kawamata’s exhibition Under the Water, held from 10 December 2011 to 28 January 2012 at Galerie Mennour, Paris
La double rampe
Tadashi Kawamata
La double rampe sur le défilé de la Saône, Lyon, 2013
Video by Grand Lyon TV
2:06 min
In this video, Kawamata presents La Double Rampe, a permanent structure composed of two interlaced ramps, each 180 meters long, which create a continuous walkway along the Saône that offers passersby a promenade closer to the water.
Collective Folie
Tadashi Kawamata
explique Collective Folie
Parc de la Villette, Paris, 2013
Video by La Villette
3:55 min
In this interview at Parc de la Villette, Kawamata explains the importance of collective and participatory approaches in the creation of Collective Folie, realized in 2013 through several workshops that brought together students and volunteers.
Collective Folie
Tadashi Kawamata Collective folie
Parc de la Villette, Paris, 2013
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 30 min
This film follows the process of construction and deconstruction of Collective Folie, a 21-meter-high tower made from scrap materials in Parc de la Villette in Paris
Favela Café, Art Basel
Tadashi Kawamata Favela Café, Art Basel
Basel, 2013
Video by Lukas Film
3:16 min
This video includes an interview with Kawamata about his installation Favela Café, a café terrace located in front of the Messe Hall entrance at Art Basel, consisting of 18 huts made from recycled materials.
Favelas Project
Tadashi Kawamata
Favelas Project
Art Basel, 2014
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 13 min
This film presents Tadashi Kawamata’s installation Favela Café at the Art Basel in 2013
Kartause Ittingen
Tadashi Kawamata
Kartause Ittingen, 2014
Video by Arttv
4:07 min
This video presents Kawamata’s Log Tower at the gates of Ittingen Charterhouse and his solo exhibition “Prekäre Konstruktionen” held at the Kunstmuseum Thurgau in 2014.
Place Vendôme
Tadashi Kawamata
Place Vendôme
Paris, 2013
Video by Florent Kolandjian
4:57 min
This video includes an interview with Kawamata about his installation Tree Huts at Place Vendôme, as part of FIAC Hors les Murs 2013.
Scheiterturm
Tadashi Kawamata Scheiterturm
Kunstmuseum Thurgau, 2014
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 34 min
This film illustrates the collaborative construction process of the Log Tower, a 9-meter-high wooden structure created by Kawamata in 2013 at Ittingen Charterhouse, a former Carthusian monastery in Switzerland.
Walk, Touch, View
Tadashi Kawamata
Walk, Touch, View
Artist Studio, Paris, 2015
Film by Barbara Anastacio
NOWNESS, 3:12 min
This video presents an interview with Kawamata in his Paris studio.
OpenART 2017
Tadashi Kawamata
OpenART 2017
Örebro, 2017
Video by OpenArtSweden
1:39 min
In this video, Kawamata discusses his participatory work Share Chair Arena for the OpenART Biennale 2017, held in Örebro, Sweden.
Nest
Tadashi Kawamata Nest
Mennour, Paris, 2017
Directed by Erwann Lameignère
Collectif Combo for Mennour
5:55 min
Video of the installation Nest created for Kawamata solo exhibition at Mennour gallery from December 13, 2017 to January 27, 2018.
Sendai in Progress 2017
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2017
Sendai, 2017
Film by ArtNode, 5 min
This video documents the early stages of Kawamata’s long-term Sendai in Progress, including the conception of the Bridge for All.
Tadashi Kawamata x Pierre Yovanovitch
Tadashi Kawamata
x Pierre Yovanovitch
Paris, 2017
Video by Pierre Yovanovitch
2:54 min
For this collaboration with architect Pierre Yovanovitch, Kawamata was commissioned to create a site-specific, nest-like installation in the master suite of a Parisian residence designed by Yovanovitch in 2017.
Over Flow
Tadashi Kawamata
Over Flow
MAAT Museum, Lisbon, 2018
Film by Abilio Leitão and Gilles Coudert
Abílio Leitão / a.p.r.e.s éditions
12 min
This film documents the creation of Kawamata’s Over Flow, realized in 2018 for his solo exhibition at MAAT in Lisbon, offering insight into the artist’s approach to space, his process of collecting materials, and collaborative construction.
Sendai in Progress 2018
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2018
Sendai, 2018
Film by ArtNode, 5:37 min
This video documents the creation of the first work produced in 2018 as part of the Sendai In Progress project. The boat is modeled on umabune, wooden boats that were once used on the Teizan Canal.
Biennale d’Art Contemporain d’Anglet
Tadashi Kawamata
Une oeuvre éphémère pour la Biennale d’Art Contemporain d’Anglet, 2018
Video by France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 1:35 min
Video reportage of the work Love Tower, a wooden tower created by Kawamata for the seventh edition of Littorale, the Contemporary Art Biennale in Anglet, offering panoramic views over the Chambre d’Amour.
Sendai in Progress 2019
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2019
Sendai, 2019
Film by ArtNode, 6:13 min
This video presents the second work of the Sendai In Progress: a wooden boardwalk along the seaward side of the Teizan Canal, leading visitors partway down to the beach.
Atelier de Tadashi Kawamata
Atelier de Tadashi Kawamata
Paris, 2019
Directed by Thomas Grandrémy
France 3 Pays de la Loire, 1:18 min
This video documents Kawamata’s working process in his studio for the creation of his installations for the 2019 edition of Le Voyage à Nantes.
Arte Metropolis: Kawamata
Tadashi Kawamata
Tremblay-en-France, 2020
Video report by Arte – Métropolis
Directed by Wolfgang Kabish
5:18 min
This video report by Arte Métropolis documents Kawamata working on Bain de Forêt, the permanent commission in Tremblay-en-France, consisting of twenty-three tree huts among the trees of the new urban park located in front of Tremblay’s city hall.
Sendai in Progress 2020
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2020
Sendai, 2020
Film by ArtNode
5 min
In 2020, a second Wood Path for All was constructed on the inland side of the Teizan Canal in Sunahara, Sendai.
Japan House São Paulo
Tadashi Kawamata
Japan House São Paulo
São Paulo, 2020
Video by Japan House São Paulo
3:34 min
This video presents Kawamata’s work Construção / Construction, installed at Japan House São Paulo from 4 February to 12 April 2020. For this site-specific intervention the artist used thousands of wooden chopsticks, forming a dense yet lightweight structure that immerses visitors in a transformed environment.
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2021
Tadashi Kawamata
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2021
Kyoto, 2021
Video editing: Hiroyasu Takahashi
4:10 min
This video documents the development of Tadashi Kawamata’s project for Nuit Blanche Kyoto, Yume no Ukihashi – Work in Progress. It follows the construction process of the full-scale 1:1 bridge section prototype presented in 2021 at Shoyeido’s Karasuma site. The video also features the Yume no Ukihashi (2020) model, originally unveiled in the exhibition “Landscape by the Waterfront” during Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2020 at the Kyoto Art Center.
Déplacement
Tadashi Kawamata
Déplacement
Toulon, 2021
Video by Châteauvallon-Liberté, scène nationale.
3:54 min
This video follows the creation of Kawamata’s in situ work Displacement — a monumental public installation constructed from abandoned shipwrecks recovered from the harbor of the Port of Toulon. Installed at Place Monsenergue, it was inaugurated in June 2021 as part of Passion Bleue organised by Châteauvallon-Liberté, Scène Nationale.
Une tour de bateaux à Toulon
Tadashi Kawamata
Déplacement, 2021
Video report by France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
1:41 min
Video report on Kawamata’s monumental public installation Displacement presented in Toulon in 2021.
Déplacement, Toulon
Tadashi Kawamata
Déplacement, Toulon
2021
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions, 13 min
This film presents the public art commission Déplacement in Toulon and includes an interview with artist Tadashi Kawamata, in which he outlines his artistic vision for the project.
Sendai in Progress 2021
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2021
Sendai, 2021
Film by ArtNode
5:14 min
In 2022, as part of Sendai in Progress, Shinhama Tower — a hexagonal observation structure —was erected between Chochingama Marsh and the Shinhama Furusato Forest. Due to pandemic restrictions, Kawamata directed its construction remotely.
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2022
Tadashi Kawamata
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2022
Kyoto, 2022
Video editing: Hiroyasu Takahashi
1:51 min
This video documents the construction of Kawamata’s Yume no Ukihashi – Work in Progress 2022 at the entrance of the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, on the occasion of Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2022.
Nests in Milan
Tadashi Kawamata
Nests in Milan
Milan, 2022
Video by Kosmo 2.7 for BUILDING
56:05 min
This documentary was produced on the occasion of the exhibition Tadashi Kawamata: Nests in Milan, curated by Antonella Soldaini and held from 31 March to 23 July 2022 at BUILDING, Milan.
Sendai in Progress 2022
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2022
Sendai, 2022
Film by ArtNode
6 min
In August 2022, Kawamata, with the help of the local community, built a temporary bridge using scaffolding joined together, supported on rubber boats, and reinforced with a pipe structure. This temporary work functioned as a replacement for a bridge that had previously stood over the Tezan Canal before the tsunami. The project allowed people to cross the canal on foot for the first time in 11 years.
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2023
Tadashi Kawamata
Nuit Blanche Kyoto 2023
Kyoto, 2023
Video editing: Hiroyasu Takahashi
2:05 min
This video documents the continuation of Kawamata’s long-term project for the annual Nuit Blanche Kyoto, with the construction of Yume no Ukihashi – Work in Progress 2023 on the south side of Shichijō Bridge, along the banks of the Kamo River. The installation was inaugurated on 28 October and accompanied by an exhibition and symposium on the theme, held at Kyoto City Senior High School of Art – Gallery.
Destruction
Tadashi Kawamata
Destruction
Tapei, 2023
Video by Beyondgallery
5:58 min
This video features Kawamata’s first solo exhibition in Taiwan at Fei Gallery in Tapei, showcasing a series of works created between 2017 and 2021 under the title Destruction.
La Chaire
Tadashi Kawamata
La Chaire – Kunisaki Peninsula Art Project, Kunisaki, 2023
Video by Kunisaki City
02:35 min
This video presents La Claire, a wooden observation platform created by Kawamata in Kibe Memorial Park for the Kunisaki Art Festival 2014.
Sendai in Progress 2023
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2023
Sendai, 2023
Film by ArtNode
5:50 min
For the 2023 iteration of the Sendai in Progress project, Kawamata built several pergolas, tables, and benches, which were installed at nine locations in the Ido district. Created for residents and visitors to rest, some of the benches were constructed using the remains of house foundations that had been left untouched since the 2011 earthquake.
Apartment Project 1982–86
Tadashi Kawamata
Apartment Project 1982–86 – Documentary Exhibition ~Focusing on TETRA-HOUSE, Tokyo 2023
Video by Rakuda Studio for Gallery A4, 03:36 min
This video showcases the 2023 archival exhibition at Gallery A4, centered on the historic TETRA-HOUSE 326 PROJECT (Sapporo). The exhibition documents the full range of Kawamata’s Apartment Projects carried out across Japan from 1982 to 1986. For the occasion, Kawamata created a site-specific installation that evokes the TETRA-HOUSE project.
Meubler
Tadashi Kawamata
Meubler
Paris, 2023
Video by Mennour
5:51 min
This video documents Kawamata’s project Nest in Liaigre, a site-specific intervention on the building façade of Liaigre in Paris, along with the parallel solo exhibition Meubler held at Mennour gallery from October 16 to December 21, 2023.
Sendai in Progress 2024
Tadashi Kawamata
Sendai in Progress 2024
Sendai, 2024
Film by ArtNode
6:30 min
The project for Sendai in Progress 2024 consisted in building a terrace at the site of the Idohama Pergola for local residents and visitors to relax, spend time, and engage in various activities. Flower beds were also added along the roadside terrace.
The Shower, Naples
Tadashi Kawamata
The Shower, Fondazione Made in Cloister, Naples, 2025
Film by Gilles Coudert
a.p.r.e.s éditions / Napoli Film Industry, 18 min
In 2017, Kawamata created the site-responsive monumental installation The Shower at the Made in Cloister Foundation, hosted within the cloister of Santa Caterina a Formiello in Naples. This film follows the development of the project and includes interviews with the artist, the President of the Foundation, Rosa Alba Impronta, and the site director, Davide De Blasio.
Tree Hut on the Wall
Tadashi Kawamata
Tree Hut on the Wall
Bottrop, 2025
Video by Florian Pawliczek – EGLV
04:27 min
In 2025, the Emschergenossenschaft invited Kawamata to create a permanent commission on a shotcrete retaining wall in Bottrop, constructed as part of the Boye wastewater canal project. This site-specific work features a painted tree backdrop accompanied by several “Tree Huts” installations.
