Jacob Hashimoto's largest-ever kite installation, Giant Arc, debuts with a free public celebration at SFMOMA on Thursday, August 20, featuring an artist talk and a live sound performance inside the piece itself.

Jacob Hashimoto's Giant Arc — an overwhelming expanse of nearly 75,000 hand-built bamboo and Japanese paper kites suspended floor to ceiling — gets its free public debut Thursday, August 20, at SFMOMA’s Roberts Family Gallery, two days before the installation officially opens. The opening celebration runs from 6–8 p.m. at SFMOMA, 151 Third Street, and is free and open to the public; museum admission is not required.

This isn't just a first look; it's a deep dive into Hashimoto's career-largest work. The installation is a chaotic yet meditative "enveloping sky" built from individual kites featuring patterns of Northern California flora and fauna, including San Francisco's official flower, the dahlia, the checker lily, and the Sonoran blue butterfly. While the general exhibition will be visible starting August 22 in SFMOMA's 45,000 square feet of free public space, August 20 is the sole opportunity to experience the artist in person.

The evening unfolds in two parts. At 6 p.m., Hashimoto joins SFMOMA Curator of Architecture and Design Joseph Becker for an in-depth conversation on the work's physicality and meaning in the Phyllis Wattis Theater on Floor 1. Seating is first come, first served, so arrive by 5:50 for a spot. At 7 p.m., the event moves into the Roberts Family Gallery itself, where California keyboard player and experimental composer Nico Georis performs live inside the immersive installation. Georis, whose sound Terry Riley called "the best takeoff on A Rainbow in Curved Air I have heard," will provide a unique sonic escort to the visual spectacle.

The insider tip: The Montgomery Street BART station (all lines) is a few blocks away, making it the smarter choice over driving to SoMa on a Thursday evening. If you only have two hours, prioritize the artist-curator talk and the performance inside the installation. Get there by 5:50 p.m. for the conversation, then move to the gallery at 7 p.m. for Georis's set. The performance within the art piece is a singular experience you won't want to miss.