The Nasher Sculpture Center will publicly confer the Nasher Prize for the first time this fall, presenting the $100,000 award to Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj during a Nov. 14 ceremony at the museum.
The event will coincide with the installation of a monumental sculpture by Halilaj in the Nasher Garden, where it will remain on view through summer 2027 through a long-term loan, the Nasher Sculpture Center said in a written statement.
Halilaj, the ninth Nasher Prize laureate, was announced as the recipient in October 2025. His installation, part of his Abetare series, is a new version of the large house sculpture created for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2024 Roof Garden Commission.
The stainless steel and bronze work was inspired by thousands of drawings found on children’s school desks, first in Kosovo and later throughout the Balkans. The series transforms childhood doodles into reflections on history, culture, and collective memory, said museum representatives in the written statement.
“I am delighted to share the conferral of the Nasher prize with the public of the Nasher and the community of Dallas,” said Nasher Director Carlos Basualdo. “This is especially significative in the case of Petrit Halijaj, an artist whose practice is deeply rooted in the redeeming possibilities of the shared experience of art.”
Halilaj has pledged the prize money to the Hajde! Foundation, a Kosovo-based nonprofit he founded in 2014 with his sister, curator Hana Halilaj. The organization supports artists, produces new work, and develops cultural initiatives, including the House of Culture in Runik and Grand Hotel Prishtina, said Nasher representatives.
The public ceremony reflects the Nasher’s commitment to sharing the prize with the Dallas community, according to the museum. The event will include a conversation between Halilaj and Nasher Curator Dr. Leigh Arnold, followed by the award presentation and a celebration featuring food, music, and performances inspired by Halilaj’s work.
The conversation with Halilaj and Arnold will begin at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in Nasher Hall, followed by the celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Nasher Garden.
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