No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75

The Noguchi Museum

Dates

4 Nov, 2026 - 5 Sep, 2027

Location

The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

9-01 33rd Road (at Vernon Boulevard) Long Island City, New York 11106, Long Island City

No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75
No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75 1
No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75 2
No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75 1

No Ordinary Light: Akari at 75 traces the evolution of Isamu Noguchi’s iconic Akari light sculptures, first developed in Gifu, Japan, in 1951. Over the following three decades, Noguchi created more than 200 models, viewing each not simply as a functional object but as a “luminous sculpture” that brought art into everyday life.

The exhibition explores key moments in Akari’s history, from its 1951 debut at Charles and Ray Eames’ Los Angeles home to Noguchi’s immersive presentation at the 1986 Venice Biennale. Highlights include the monumental 200D (c. 1985), the largest Akari ever produced, alongside archival sketchbooks and examples of Noguchi’s ceramic, metal and stone sculpture.

Marking Akari’s 75th anniversary, the exhibition considers the enduring influence of these familiar forms and Noguchi’s lifelong effort to dissolve the boundaries between art, design and daily life.

On view 4 November 2026–5 September 2027.

VenueThe Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum
TypeExhibition
Duration305 Days
CityLong Island City

About

The Noguchi Museum

The Noguchi Museum was founded and designed by internationally renowned American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) for the display of what he considered to be representative examples of his life’s work. In 1980, Noguchi renamed his Akari Foundation as the Isamu Noguchi Foundation in anticipation of the Museum’s creation. The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum officially opened to the public on May 11, 1985. Learn more about the making of the Museum here. In 2004, the private Isamu Noguchi Foundation and The Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, which it operated, were consolidated into a single entity. Chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, The Noguchi Museum is a 501(c)(3) public charity; and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).

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