An artwork on display on the rooftop terrace
Invited to the Festival d’Automne for the first time, Christine Sun Kim is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of visual arts, sign language, and music. Drawing inspiration from musical notation and other graphic information systems, she deploys an exhibition in the public space combining humor and critical thinking to overturn expectations regarding the non-auditory and political dimensions of sound.
Christine Sun Kim’s new series of large-scale works is on display until October 31 on the rooftop of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Using charcoal on paper, her drawings take cues from musical notation, bringing together the characteristic handshapes, movement, speed, and impact that are essential to her work. They are part of a broader project to document, preserve, and pass on Deaf culture and history, while occupying a prominent visual space.
“I want the scale to actively assert the existence and culture of deaf people in the daily lives of hearing people.”
The artist Christine Sun Kim
Born in 1980 in California, Christine Sun Kim lives and works in Berlin. She has developed a strong relationship with sound and sign language in her work. Her practice explores musical notation, written language, infographics, and American Sign Language (ASL). Working across drawing, performance, video, and large-scale murals, she examines her relationship with both spoken and signed languages.
Christine Sun Kim’s series of large-scale works
© Marc Domage
A multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of visual arts, sign language, and music, Christine Sun Kim presents her large-scale charcoal drawings inspired by musical notation. Combining humor and critical thinking, her works overturn expectations surrounding the non-auditory and political dimensions of sound.
In parallel with this rooftop installation at the department store, as part of the Festival d’Automne, Christine Sun Kim is taking over the hallways of the Auber and Opéra metro stations through December 2026 (in collaboration with the RATP), and will present a performance at the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection on October 22 and 24, 2026.
About the Autumn Festival
A multidisciplinary festival dedicated to contemporary creation, the Festival d’Automne presents over 70 artistic projects across 60 partner venues every year from September to December. Theater, music, dance, visual arts, and performance converge to draw 200,000 spectators in a spirit of openness, loyalty, and international discovery. The 2026 edition takes place from September 11 to December 19, 2026, in Paris and the Île-de-France region.
📍 Terrace (8th Floor) – Coupole Store
40 Boulevard Haussmann, 75009 PARIS
