Walker Art Center to open exhibition exploring concept of the Sculpture Court, with works by nearly 40 Acclaimed Artists
Rendering the human form in three dimensions is among the oldest forms of artistic expression. With its upcoming exhibition, Sculpture Court, the Walker Art Center captures the ways in which today’s artists have radically reimagined what it means to represent the body, through a range of materials, scales, and formal interpretations. Drawing on the Walker’s extensive collection, the exhibition features nearly 40 artists, including Bonnie Collura, Mona Hatoum, Nobuaki Kojima, Oliver Laric, Jacques Lipchitz, Joan Miró, Rona Pondick, and Arlene Shechet. The presentation continues the Walker’s commitment to leveraging its growing collection to tell dynamic stories and reflect artistic innovation, with many works in the show on view for the first since their acquisition by the Walker. Sculpture Court will be on view from October 18, 2025 – September 6, 2026.
For the exhibition, the Walker will also transform its Perlman Gallery into an environment akin to the airy courtyards and gardens that have been used to house and present sculpture since the 16th century. The exhibition takes its name from these historical sculpture courts, which invited visitors to stroll leisurely among bronze, marble, and plaster figures inspired by religion, mythology, and real-world events. The sculpture court context invites long looking and highlights the ongoing interest of representing the human body as both a potent symbol and active space of exploration. Sculpture Court is curated by Henriette Huldisch, Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, with Laurel Rand-Lewis, Curatorial Fellow, Visual Arts.
“Throughout history, sculpture courts have been places for people to wander, think, and engage in drawing practice. The Walker’s contemporary interpretation takes visitors on a brief tour through the radical changes in representing the human figure over the course of the 20th century,” said Huldisch. “Variously concerned with sculptural form and social commentary, many of the works are distinguished by their irreverent subject matter and free-wheeling use of materials, inviting reflection and also encouraging visitors to pick up pencils to sketch.”
Among the highlights in the exhibition are:
- Untitled (Figure) (1976) by Nobuaki Kojima. The sculpture features a Japanese salaryman, holding a red-and-white-striped cloth over his upper body. Kojima began incorporating the patterned cloth, which in this work is made from real fabric hardened by resin, in the late 1960s as a reference to the American flag. The work has been interpreted to represent the effects of American occupation and national power on Japan.
- Femme debout (Standing Woman) (1969) by Joan Miró. The work turns the female form into a curious, monumental object. The abstracted form seems to shift depending on the position of the viewer, at moments appearing as an elongated face and others as a body with breasts. In this way, the form is active and evolving as it engages the viewer.
- The Hunter and His Dog (2014) by Oliver Laric. In 2012, Laric began collaborating with the Usher Gallery (Lincoln, UK) to create 3D scans of objects in their collection. This work is Laric’s version of an 1838 marble sculpture by John Gibson (1790–1866). Keeping its title but changing the color, scale, and material, Laric explores the boundaries between copy and original and what constitutes the artist’s unique hand.
- Moon in the Morning (2022) by Arlene Shechet. The work, which suggests a standing silhouette of a figure against a large disc, is made from stony ceramic, rough-hewn wood, and vivid blue steel and reflects Shechet’s interest in and commitment to exploring unexpected combinations of textures and materials. Visually striking, the work also morphs and changes as the viewer moves around it.
- Hair Necklace (1995) by Mona Hatoum. To make Hair Necklace, Hatoum collected her own hair, carefully crafted it into delicate balls, and positioned them atop a jeweler’s bust, evoking the displays of priceless necklaces. Here, the hair becomes a stand-in for the artist’s body, made present through a material that it sheds all the time.
To further engage visitors, the Sculpture Court features sketchpads and pencils within the gallery to encourage people to draw and create their own works inspired by the body.
ABOUT THE WALKER ART CENTER
The Walker Art Center is a renowned multidisciplinary arts institution that presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Guided by the belief that art has the power to bring joy and solace and the ability to unite people through dialogue and shared experiences, the Walker engages communities through a dynamic array of exhibitions, performances, events, and initiatives. Its multiacre campus includes 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, the state-of-the-art McGuire Theater and Walker Cinema, and ample green space that connects with the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The Garden, a partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States and home to the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Recognized for its ambitious program and growing collection of more than 16,000 works, the Walker embraces emerging art forms and amplifies the work of artists from the Twin Cities and from across the country and the globe. Its broad spectrum of offerings makes it a lively and welcoming hub for artistic expression, creative innovation, and community connection.