Dressed in white and holding blue, white and red umbrellas, dozens have filed onto Henley Beach in Adelaide to send a message of support to France.

At least 120 people were killed and 200 more injured, including one Australian, when terrorists targeted several locations in Paris just over a week ago.

Artist Andrew Baines was hoping at least 100 South Australians would show up to take part in his photography project - and exactly 100 did.

"I started contacting people on social media and then there was this big swell, and people started getting back to me, and then the French Consulate contacted me," he said.

"I thought [to myself], I'm doing the right thing."

Mr Baines said he felt lost at what to do when he first heard about the attacks.

He said inspiration for the installation came to him in the early hours.

"I'm a creative person and I do these installations all the time," he said.

"I owe it to the people of Paris and myself to do something.

"I think it's the job of an artist to highlight issues that are important to them."

Mr Baines said he designed the installation with solidarity in mind as the key message.

"The ocean means emotion ... and the horizon was a symbol of [looking] across the seas - the line of people, like a battalion and the red, white and blue, the French flag," he said.

"It's got so much meaning but you don't have to say anything.

"What I'm praying is that via the media and social media the Parisians will see that there's a little place on the other side of the world called Adelaide, and we're thinking of you."