Light and Stone: Revisiting Noguchi's 1986 Venice Biennale

Noguchi's 1986 Venice Biennale presentation of stone sculptures, Akari light works, and a monumental marble spiral slide challenging distinctions between art, design, and environment.

Why go

The exhibition revisits a landmark 1986 show where Noguchi became the first solo artist to represent the U.S. at Venice, forging dialectics between monumentality and lightness, tradition and technology—archival photographs, sketches, and Akari pieces reveal how he navigated East-West sculptural methods and social experience.

What to expect

A single-gallery archival presentation featuring photographs and documents from the 1986 Venice Biennale, a model for Slide Mantra (the ten-foot marble spiral slide centerpiece), Akari light sculptures, architectural sketches, and unrealized playground models from the original exhibition.

Things to know

• Noguchi was the first solo artist to represent the U.S. at the Venice Biennale in 1986.
• The exhibition was curated by Henry Geldzahler (former Metropolitan Museum curator) and selected by Alanna Heiss (founder of MoMA PS1).
• Slide Mantra, a ten-foot marble spiral slide, embodied Noguchi's decades-long commitment to play as essential human experience.
• Noguchi included Akari light sculptures despite reservations from peers that their commercial associations would provoke criticism.
• 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of Akari light sculptures, first commissioned in 1951 to revitalize Gifu's traditional lantern industry.
• The Noguchi Museum is partnering with The Japan Foundation for a related exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale's Japan Pavilion.