Washington, D.C.'s Hirshhorn Museum is preparing to unveil a striking new outdoor artwork by Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset as its revitalized Sculpture Garden reopens on October 31.
Titled Eight, the 28-foot-tall installation transforms the familiar form of a swimming pool into an unexpected vertical sculpture. Cast in stainless steel, the work features a lacquered cyan interior, diving board, ladder and lights, yet remains deliberately empty and impossible to enter.
The artists are known for repositioning everyday spaces and objects to invite fresh interpretations. With Eight, the swimming pool becomes a symbol of public access, gathering and shared imagination. Its vacant form encourages visitors to consider what community spaces can represent beyond their practical purpose.
The work is the fourth pool sculpture in Elmgreen & Dragset's ongoing series, following installations presented in locations including Miami and New York. At the Hirshhorn, it will serve as a major focal point within the redesigned garden, which has undergone a four-year, $68 million transformation led by artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.
By placing an everyday recreational setting in an unfamiliar orientation, Eight expands the Sculpture Garden's dialogue between architecture, public space and contemporary art. The installation signals how cultural institutions can create more imaginative, participatory encounters in the urban landscape.
