The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas has awarded its 2027 Nasher Prize to Petrit Halilaj, making him the youngest recipient since the prize was established in 2015. The biannual award includes $100,000 and an exhibition at the Nasher, with details to be announced later. In an unusual move, Halilaj has decided to donate the entire prize purse to the Hajde! Foundation, a Kosovo-based nonprofit he cofounded with his sister in 2014 to support Kosovar artists. Halilaj, born in 1986 in Kosovo, is known for sculptures and installations that explore Kosovo's history and sociopolitical realities through a lens of childlike whimsy, often drawing on his own experience of the Kosovo War.
This award matters because it highlights a rising generation of artists from conflict regions whose work addresses trauma and resilience, while Halilaj's decision to redirect the prize money underscores a growing trend among artists to use institutional recognition to support grassroots cultural infrastructure. The prize also reinforces the Nasher Sculpture Center's role in championing innovative sculptural practice, with Halilaj's selection by a distinguished international jury signaling his importance in contemporary art. His extensive exhibition history—including appearances at the Venice Biennale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and major museums worldwide—positions him as a leading voice in sculpture today.