The High Museum of Art To Present Major Isamu Noguchi Retrospective in April
Featuring nearly 200 objects spanning rare Akari lanterns to Playscapes models.
Summary
- The High Museum of Art will host a 200-object Isamu Noguchi retrospective from April 10 to August 2, 2026
- Featured works include rare Akari lanterns, Playscapes models and iconic Herman Miller furniture
- Following the Atlanta showcase, the exhibition will tour nationally through 2027
The High Museum of Art in Atlanta will present Isamu Noguchi: ‘I am not a designer,’ marking the first major design retrospective of the artist in nearly 25 years. Featuring nearly 200 works, the exhibition highlights the artist and designer’s expansive practice across sculpture, furniture, lighting, playgrounds, landscapes and stage sets. Many rarely seen and never‑before‑exhibited pieces will be on view, including the marble and granite “Song of the Bird (1958),” models of unrealized projects like “Play Mountain (1933)”, and collaborations with manufacturers such as Herman Miller and Knoll.
Noguchi’s bicultural upbringing – born in Los Angeles to a Japanese father and American mother – shaped his vision of art as a civic and cultural force. His designs, from the iconic Akari light sculptures to public spaces like Atlanta’s Playscapes playground, embody his belief in harmonizing art, architecture, and nature. The exhibition also revisits his collaborations with figures such as Buckminster Fuller and Martha Graham, including the rarely performed stage set for Seraphic Dialogue (1955). By presenting these works together, the retrospective underscores how Noguchi’s design practice was integral to his artistic identity, not secondary to his sculpture.
Organized thematically, the show explores reproducibility in design, Noguchi’s architectural experiments, and his utopian visions for public spaces. Large‑scale installations, interactive play sculptures, and archival materials reveal his commitment to blending functionality with aesthetic innovation.
The landmark exhibition Isamu Noguchi: ‘I am not a designer’ is set to debut at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta from April 10 – August 2, 2026. Co-curated by Monica Obniski and Marin R. Sullivan, the exhibition will travel nationally after Atlanta, with stops at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts and the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York.
High Museum of Art
1280 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta,
GA 30309, USA
