This week’s highlights span Washington, DC to Tokyo and Istanbul: a major museum garden reopens, a century-old prize names new fellows, an interdisciplinary club arrives in a capsule hotel, global laureates are announced, and a fair tilts its gaze to Asia.
Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden set for October debut
The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC will unveil the Hiroshi Sugimoto–designed Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden on October 31, concluding a four-year, USD 68 million renewal. Sugimoto, who also reimagined the museum’s lobby, has increased the garden’s capacity by 50%, making room for 60 sculptures within a landscape of more than 30,000 plants and trees. The project reconnects the garden to the broader campus and remedies aging infrastructure. Melissa Chiu, who stepped down on August 31, called it the “most significant rethinking of our campus since the Hirshhorn opened in 1974.”
Villa Romana Prize names 2027 Fellows
The Villa Romana Prize, founded in 1905, has selected Arijit Bhattacharyya, Stephanie Comilang, Li Yong Xiang, and Ligia Lewis as its 2027 Fellows. Chosen by Ulf Aminde and Kathleen Reinhardt from a shortlist proposed by 10 international practitioners, the group will join Villa Romana’s Florence-based fellowship program. Their work spans multidisciplinary research, moving image, choreography, and cross-media practices, engaging questions of political violence, migration, labor, embodiment, and cultural exchange.
Basel Social Club launches Tokyo Jazz Club
From November 1–8, Basel Social Club will stage Tokyo Jazz Club in an eight-storey former capsule hotel in Jimbocho, overlapping with Art Week Tokyo (November 4–8). Developed by gallerist Robbie Fitzpatrick and curator Yael Salomonowitz, the inaugural edition will place contemporary art in conversation with live music, performance, dining, and nightlife, extending the hybrid, socially oriented format introduced in Switzerland in 2022. Participants have not yet been announced; organizers say the program will emphasize improvisation, listening, and exchange.
Praemium Imperiale announces 2026 laureates
On September 8, the Japan Art Association named the 2026 Praemium Imperiale laureates: Jenny Holzer (painting), Andy Goldsworthy (sculpture), Daniel Libeskind (architecture), Herbert Blomstedt (music), and Cate Blanchett (theater/film). Each will receive JPY 15 million (USD 97,000). The French organization La Source Garouste receives the association’s JPY 5 million (USD 32,000) Grant for Young Artists. Often described as the “Nobel Prize of the arts,” the award was established in 1988 to honor the late prince Takamatsu’s wish to promote international exchange through the arts. The ceremony will be held in Tokyo on October 28.
Contemporary Istanbul returns with Asia-focused program
Contemporary Istanbul’s 21st edition will take place at Tersane Istanbul from September 24–27, with 70 galleries from 24 countries expected. The lineup includes 22 newcomers, among them Pearl Lam Projects, Takato Kano Gallery, and Whitestone Gallery. The fair’s 2026 program highlights Asia via Focus: Asia, a new platform addressing the region’s presence and influence. Beyond booths, the historic shipyard will host commissioned works and installations conceived for the site, alongside participatory projects. Featured artists include Chisato Matsumoto (Japan), Bahrain’s Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa, and Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa.
Taken together, these announcements trace a season defined by ambitious commissioning, cross-disciplinary formats, and international recognition.
