Curator Tour of Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness

Curator Tour of Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form Is Emptiness

Date: Sun, 4 October 2026

Time: 3 – 4pm

Meeting point: Gallery 1, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark (01-02, 39 Keppel Road, S089065)

Tickets: Free with registration (tour is free, but general admission fees to the exhibition apply)

Join SAM Curators Amy Cheng and Angelica Ong for the last curator-led tour of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s first major Southeast Asian showcase. Dive into five decades of artistic inquiry, spanning landmark photography, rare fossils, and architectural design, before the exhibition closes.

Find out more about the exhibition here.

About the exhibition

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.

Event administration

Admission

The curator tour is free; however, please note that separate gallery admission charges apply for the exhibition. Get your tickets here.

The tour will start promptly at 3pm. Please arrive at least 5 minutes early or on time.

Photography, audio and video recording

Please note that there will be photography and/or recording (audio and/or video) at the event. By attending, you consent to your photograph and/or recording (video/audio) being used for future communications both online and offline by SAM for archival, museum-related publicity and publications only.

Cancellation

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information on this programme. However, changes are sometimes unavoidable and the Singapore Art Museum reserves the right to modify programmes without prior notice. Please visit singaporeartmuseum.sg or follow us on Instagram (@singaporeartmuseum) for the most updated information.

Admission Information

The admission for the programme is free, please note that separate gallery admission charges apply for the exhibition.

We kindly remind you to secure an exhibition admission ticket before the programme begins. For your reference, you may view the exhibition admission rates below and purchase tickets online here or directly at our Visitor Counters.

For Hiroshi Sugimoto: Form is Emptiness, please refer to the ticket prices below:

For Maria Taniguchi: Afterimage and SAMCollection: The Present is Unstable, please refer to the ticket prices below: