Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Reopens Following Hiroshi Sugimoto Redesign

Lisson Gallery is delighted to announce the reopening of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, on 31 October, following a four-year revitalisation led by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. Marking the most significant rethinking of the museum’s campus since it opened in 1974, the project reimagines the 1.3-acre landscape to accommodate more artworks, improve public access and reconnect the Garden with the surrounding museum and National Mall.

Respecting the original design by architect Gordon Bunshaft, Sugimoto has introduced monumental dry-stacked stone walls, new entrances and overlooks, and nearly 30,000 new plants and trees. The redesigned Garden and Plaza will present 60 artworks, a 50 per cent increase on the previous installation, bringing together key works from Joseph H. Hirshhorn’s foundational gift alongside recent acquisitions and commissions by leading contemporary artists.

The reinstallation spans more than a century of sculpture, from works by Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and David Smith to contemporary works by artists including Yoko Ono, Mark Grotjahn, Raven Halfmoon and Pedro Reyes.

The Garden’s reopening also coincides with the launch of Yoshitomo Nara: Sentinels of Stillness, an exhibition of monumental aluminium figures on the West Lawn. A free public celebration on 31 October will feature artist talks, creative workshops and activities for visitors of all ages, marking a new chapter for the Sculpture Garden as a space for art, discovery and community.

Explore the redesigned Garden and accompanying programme via the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Shown here: Portrait of Hiroshi Sugimoto, 2020. © The Artist, Courtesy Sugimoto Studio and Lisson.