Hiroshi Sugimoto's first major Southeast Asian exhibition, "Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness," opens at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) on May 29, 2026, running through October 4, 2026. The show spans five decades and features 63 works from 11 series across photography, sculpture, installation, and architecture, plus 14 fossils from the artist's personal collection. Sugimoto designed the exhibition as a mandala, with a circular layout that encourages visitors to drift through interconnected sections reflecting the Buddhist Five Elements.
The exhibition matters because it introduces Sugimoto's influential practice to a new regional audience, showcasing his iconic photographic series like seascapes and Theatres alongside lesser-known works. It also highlights Sugimoto's role as a multidisciplinary artist—extending into writing, calligraphy, garden design, and performing arts—and his engagement with Buddhist philosophy through the exhibition's mandala structure. This marks a significant moment for SAM in presenting a major international artist's survey in Southeast Asia.