An aerial viewq of Smithson's Broken Circle/Spiral Hill shortly after it's completion in 1971.

Bookings for 2026 Open Days at "Broken Circle/Spiral Hill" are open

We are pleased to share that bookings for the 2026 Open Days at Robert Smithson’s Broken Circle/Spiral Hill are now open.

In 1971, Robert Smithson was invited to create an earthwork in the Netherlands for the recurring outdoor exhibition Sonsbeek by the curator Wim Beeren. Situated beside a working sand quarry in Drenthe and cut into the side of a terminal moraine, Broken Circle/Spiral Hill is Smithson’s most significant earthwork and reflects his longstanding interest in geological and post-industrial time. It is Smithson’s only extant earthwork outside of the United States. 

Organized by our Dutch partners Land Art Contemporary in partnership with DIEP Emmen, the Open Day visits begin at Emmen Zuid Station, which is easily accessible by public transport and car. From there, a shuttle bus takes visitors to Broken Circle/Spiral Hill.

Visitors can access an audio tour on their smartphones and watch Breaking Ground: Broken Circle/Spiral Hill (approximately 21 minutes). The on-site visit takes approximately 90 minutes.

The 2026 excursions take place over four weekends:
July 4 and 5
August 29 and 30
September 19 and 20
October 17 and 18

Booking is essential: tickets are €15.50 for adults and €5 for under-twelves

Book here: https://tickets.diepemmen.nl/nl/brokencircle/tickets

Archived News

poster for Smithson's film Spiral Jetty 1970 cropped

Soft Network Benefit Auction

We are pleased to participate in the Soft Network Benefit Auction, open on Artsy from September 23 until October 7, 2026. The auction brings together works in support of Soft Network and the Artist Foundations and Estate Leaders List (AFELL), an international network for artists and stewards of artists’ estates and legacies. Holt/Smithson Foundation has donated two rare works of art by Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson to the auction to help further this goal. 

Nancy Holt's "Starfire" (1986) as installed at the Powder Art Foundation, Utah, 2025

“Starfire” at Powder Art Foundation Fall Open Day and Utah Museum of Fine Arts Land Art Week

On October 2, from 11 am to 3 pm, Powder Art Foundation will host a Fall Open House at Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah where Nancy Holt’s Starfire (1986) can be experienced. Starfire joined the collection of Powder Art Foundation last year. The sculpture comprises eight fire pits arranged in the configuration of the Big Dipper and the North Star, bringing the sky down to earth.

images of a artwork formed of language

Portuguese translation of Smithson's "Strata: A Geophotographic Fiction"

We are pleased to share our collaboration with the São Paulo–based Robert Smithson scholar and professor Antônio Ewbank and publisher Editora Ébria, presenting the first Portuguese translation of the text of Robert Smithson's Strata: A Geophotographic Fiction (1970). Strata: A Geophotographic Fiction is a four-part fold-out work created by Smithson for Aspen Magazine No. 8: The Fluxus Issue, guest edited by Dan Graham and designed by George Maciunas.

A Locator looking to a mirror

Nancy Holt in "10 Years LA!"

From May to August 2026, Monika Sprüth and Philomene Magers presented 1 0 Years LA!,at their Los Angeles gallery, an exhibition celebrating the gallery's decade-long presence in the city.