Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden to Debut in October

The new Hiroshi Sugimoto-designed Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, is set to open on October 31, following a four-year, USD 68 million revitalization. The Japanese architect-artist, who previously designed the Hirshhorn Museum’s lobby, has expanded the original garden’s capacity by 50 percent, enabling the display of 60 sculptures amid a landscape of more than 30,000 plants and trees. The redesign reconnects the garden to the rest of Hirshhorn campus and addresses aging infrastructure. Then-director Melissa Chiu (who stepped down on August 31) described the project as the “most significant rethinking of our campus since the Hirshhorn opened in 1974.”

Villa Romana Prize Announces 2027 Winners

The Villa Romana Prize, established in 1905, has announced Indian artist Arijit Bhattacharyya, Filipina Canadian artist Stephanie Comilang, Berlin-based Chinese artist Li Yong Xiang, and Dominican-born, Berlin-based choreographer and dancer Ligia Lewis as its 2027 Fellows. Selected by Ulf Aminde and Kathleen Reinhardt from a shortlist nominated by 10 international practitioners, the cohort will join Villa Romana’s Florence-based fellowship program. Their practices span multidisciplinary research, moving image, choreography, and cross-media work, engaging questions of political violence, migration, labor, embodiment, and cultural exchange. 

Basel Social Club Launches Tokyo Jazz Club

Basel Social Club will launch Tokyo Jazz Club, a new interdisciplinary event running from November 1–8, coinciding with Art Week Tokyo (November 4–8). Taking over an eight-storey former capsule hotel in Jimbocho, the inaugural edition will bring contemporary art into dialogue with live music, performance, dining, and nightlife. Conceived by gallerist Robbie Fitzpatrick and curator Yael Salomonowitz, the project continues the hybrid, socially oriented model established by Basel Social Club in Switzerland in 2022. While participating artists and galleries have yet to be announced, Tokyo Jazz Club is expected to foreground improvisation, listening, and exchange. 

Japan Art Association Announces 2026 Praemium Imperiale Laureates

The Japan Art Association announced on September 8 the laureates of the 2026 Praemium Imperiale, with Jenny Holzer, Andy Goldsworthy, Daniel Libeskind, Herbert Blomstedt, and Cate Blanchett receiving the JPY 15 million (USD 97,000) award for painting, sculpture, architecture, music, and theater/film, respectively. In addition, the French organization La Source Garouste has been awarded the association’s JPY 5 million (USD 32,000) Grant for Young Artists. Often described as the “Nobel Prize of the arts,” the Praemium Imperiale was established in 1988 to honor the late prince Takamatsu’s wish to promote international exchange through the arts. The formal award ceremony will be held in Tokyo on October 28.

Contemporary Istanbul Returns with Asia-Focused Program

Contemporary Istanbul will stage its 21st edition at Tersane Istanbul from September 24–27, with 70 galleries from 24 countries expected to participate. The roster includes 22 first-time exhibitors, among them Pearl Lam Projects, Takato Kano Gallery, and Whitestone Gallery. The fair’s 2026 program foregrounds Asia through Focus: Asia, a new platform addressing the region’s presence and influence. Alongside booth presentations, the event will activate the historic shipyard site with commissioned works, participatory projects, and site-specific installations. Featured artists include Chisato Matsumoto of Japan, Bahrain’s Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa, and Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa.