Fujiko Nakaya

Fujiko Nakaya was born in 1933 in Sapporo, Japan, as the daughter of physicist Ukichiro Nakaya, who is known for his groundbreaking research on snow crystals. In the 1960s, she gained recognition as a member of the New York collective Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.) and eventually international fame for her immersive fog sculptures. Nakaya developed her first fog sculpture for the 1970 EXPO World’s Fair in Osaka, using a system that produced pure water mist.


Nakaya's fog sculptures transcend the traditional boundaries of sculpture by creating temporary and limitless transformations that engage the audience and give the atmosphere a malleable form. Her works invite the audience to encounter the natural elements in real time – in fleeting, site-specific situations that dissolve the boundaries between nature and artistic creation.


Installation for the Neue Nationalgalerie


For Neue Nationalgalerie, Nakaya has developed a new site-specific installation that spans the entire Sculpture Garden of 90 meter length. Regularly, different fog formations emerge from both selected sides of the garden, to slowly meet in the center, and then eventually ascend into the sky. The moving fog appears in varying densities – sometimes as an almost tangible volume, sometimes as a translucent veil.


The striking museums architecture of Mies van der Rohe, completed in 1968, just two years before Nakaya’s first fog sculpture, opens up new perspectives on Nakaya's work with its diverse sightlines. The vast glass facade on the collection floor of the Neue Nationalgalerie already offers an impressive view of the constantly changing fog sculpture from the interior.


Additionally, visitors can immerse themselves directly in the fog experience. From the east-facing terrace, a view from above opens up – of the fog moving through the garden, blending with the trees and the stationary sculptures by Henri Laurens, Wolfgang Mattheuer, or Alicja Kwade, before finally dissolving into the sky.


Career and Awards

Throughout her career, Fujiko Nakaya has collaborated with artists from a wide range of disciplines – from architecture and music to dance and light design. Since the 1970s, she has also been active in the field of video art. In 1980, she founded the Video Gallery SCAN in Harajuku, Japan’s first gallery dedicated exclusively to video art. Nakaya studied at Northwestern University in the USA and later at the Sorbonne Institute in Paris.


Her contributions to the arts have been widely recognized. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the Australian Cultural Award (1976), the Special Prize of the Isoya Yoshida Award (1993), the Merit Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival (2008), the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, France (2017), the Praemium Imperiale (2018), the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award (2020), the Person of Cultural Merit honor (2022), and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (2024). She has been a member of the Japan Art Academy since 2023.


Important exhibitions include Pong Ta Long, Thailand (2025); (working title), Fondation Beyeler and LUMA Foundation (2025–24); Haus der Kunst, Munich (2022); and Guggenheim Bilbao (2019).



Visitor Information

During the fog sculpture by Fujiko Nakaya, please note the following:

• The sculpture is activated every hour and half-hour between 10 am and 6 pm.
  
• During the fog phases, visibility may be significantly reduced.
  
• Entering the sculpture garden is at your own risk.
  
• When dense fog appears, obstacles and other visitors may be difficult to see. Please move slowly and carefully. If visibility is very low, we recommend staying in place until the fog clears.
  
• The ground may become wet and slippery due to the fog. Please watch your step.
  
• Keep a safe distance from sculptures, water features, and other visitors.
  
• Be mindful of uneven surfaces and possible tripping hazards.
  
• Please supervise children closely at all times.
  
• Photography and filming are welcome. Please be aware that the fine water mist may affect electronic devices.
  

For any questions, feel free to contact the staff on site.



A special exhibition by the Neue Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin