Hirshhorn Museum Acquires Monumental Elmgreen & Dragset Sculpture for Sculpture Garden
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, part of the Smithsonian Institution, has added a significant new artwork by the artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset. Titled “Eight” and set to be completed in 2026, this sculpture was commissioned specifically for the Sculpture Garden. It features a diving board, ladder, and lights, crafted from stainless steel with a lacquered cyan interior, resembling a conventional backyard pool. Standing at 28 feet, the piece is described as inverted, vacant, and perpetually unswimmable. The museum states that “Eight” exemplifies the artists’ skill in recontextualizing familiar objects. Elmgreen & Dragset are renowned for their large installations that explore societal complexities. The exact placement of the sculpture within the garden remains unspecified.
Key facts
- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has acquired a monumental sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset.
- The sculpture is titled “Eight” and dated 2026.
- It was commissioned for the Sculpture Garden.
- The work is cast in stainless steel with a lacquered cyan interior.
- It features a diving board, ladder, and lights, evoking a backyard pool.
- The sculpture is 28 feet tall and described as upended, empty, and eternally unswimmable.
- It extends the artists’ decades-long preoccupation with the pool motif.
- Elmgreen & Dragset are known for large-scale installations that investigate societal norms and structures.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
Locations
- Washington, D.C.
- United States