Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness

About this experience

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness marks the internationally acclaimed artist’s first major exhibition in Southeast Asia. Bringing together 63 works from 11 series, alongside 14 fossils from the artist’s personal collection, the exhibition traces five decades of artistic inquiry and sustained conceptual exploration.

The exhibition title draws from a well-known line in the Heart Sutra, a foundational Buddhist text. The phrase “form is emptiness” articulates a profound yet direct insight: nothing exists independently, and we perceive the world in a certain way because of the definitions we have created for ourselves. The tension between appearance and reality has long been central to Sugimoto’s practice.

Although Sugimoto is best known for his photography, his work extends far beyond a single medium, encompassing sculpture, installation, writing, and architectural design. For him, these are not departures from photography but expansions of photographic thinking—ways of distilling and contemplating time and space so that a moment becomes a catalyst for deeper perception.

At the intersection of Buddhist philosophy and scientific inquiry, Sugimoto approaches time not as a fixed measure, but as something open and malleable. He invites viewers to slow down and reconsider the act of seeing itself, which is not passive reception, but an intentional and reflective gesture.

Designed by Sugimoto, the exhibition layout takes the form of a mandala—a circular, geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. Rather than a single linear route, paths branch, loop and reconnect, inviting more than one direction of movement.

Visitors are invited to move through the exhibition at their own pace and in their own sequence. In doing so, the spatial experience echoes Sugimoto’s enduring concern: how form and emptiness exist in interdependence, and how understanding gradually emerges through experience rather than relying on predetermined interpretation.

Details:

• Exhibition Dates: 29 May 2026 – 4 Oct 2026
• Ticketing Information: Please find attached (SAM Hiroshi Ticketing) for details. Kindly note the dates and periods below:
• Early Bird Promotion (4-28 May 2026)
• Paid Admission (From 29 May 2026 onwards)
• Free admission for all (8-9 Aug 2026) – This will only be communicated by SAM to public closer to date

Highlights

• Experience a mandala-inspired exhibition layout with non-linear navigation
• View rare fossils from the artist’s personal collection
• Explore over 60 artworks spanning five decades of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s career
• Discover a unique mix of photography, sculpture, and installation art
• Gain insight into the intersection of art, philosophy, and science

What's included

• Standard Admission

How to use

1. Show Mobile Ticket
2. Ticketing Counter

What to expect

Step into Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness, a landmark exhibition at Singapore Art Museum featuring over 60 works spanning five decades of the artist’s practice, alongside rare fossils from his personal collection. Visitors can expect a thought-provoking journey through photography, sculpture, and installation that explores the relationship between time, perception, and reality, inspired by Buddhist philosophy and scientific inquiry. Set within a mandala-inspired layout designed by Sugimoto, the exhibition offers a non-linear experience where paths branch and reconnect, encouraging visitors to explore at their own pace while reflecting on the interplay between form and emptiness and the deeper act of seeing.

Terms & conditions

Conditions of Entry

• Admission is subject to valid tickets produced at the entrance
• Each ticket admits one person
• Valid proof of identity (e.g., passport, school pass) must be presented at the ticketing counter to enjoy concession admission.
• 2One caregiver accompanying visitors with disabilities will enjoy free admission, regardless of the caregiver's nationality.

• The Organiser/Venue Owner reserves the right without refund or compensation to refuse admission/evict any person(s) whose conduct is disorderly or inappropriate or who poses a threat to security, or to the enjoyment of the Event by others.
• Ticket holders assume all risk of injury and all responsibility for property loss, destruction or theft and release the promoters, performers, sponsors, ticket outlets, venues, and their employees from any liability thereafter.
• The resale of ticket(s) at the same or any price is prohibited.
• There is no refund, exchange or cancellation once ticket(s) are sold.