The Facts
On November 6, 2026, the Art Gallery of New South Wales announced the opening weekend program for "Takashi Murakami: When the Mountain Is High, the Moon Rises Higher," the Japanese artist's first Australian retrospective. The exhibition opens December 5, 2026 and runs through July 18, 2027, featuring more than 150 works including paintings, sculptures, video, and large-scale installations, most never seen in Australia. The program includes the Flower Moon Party on December 5 from 6pm to 10pm, an artist conversation with curator Melanie Eastburn, and the Australian premiere of Murakami's film "Jellyfish Eyes" on December 6.
The Signal
Presented as part of the 2026–27 Sydney International Art Series, the retrospective—described by the gallery as the largest of Murakami's career—reinforces Sydney's role as a destination for large-scale contemporary art. The series also brings Philippe Parreno's "5 Moons" to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and a joint Art Pass encourages visitors to see both institutions. For audiences and collectors, the exhibition's institutional scale and the artist's active involvement signal sustained cultural investment in Murakami's cross-disciplinary practice.
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- Artists: Takashi Murakami
- People: Maud Page, Melanie Eastburn, Steve Kamper
- Museums: Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia
- Locations: Sydney
- Prices: $65, $55
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