Takis

A pioneer of kinetic art, Panagiotis Vassilakis—better known as Takis—created sculptures, performances, and sound pieces exploring elements of physics, nature, and technology. Among his most famous works are his “Signals”—delicate rods topped with lights and other machine parts that move in response to even slight vibrations in the surrounding air. Referencing natural and manmade antennae, they seem to commune with their surroundings. Takis also composed haunting musical compositions and used electromagnets to suspend human beings and objects in space. Inspired by technological developments of the Space Race, as well as the tenets of Zen Buddhism and ancient philosophy, the artist saw his work as a way to connect with the cosmos and unseen natural forces. Takis participated in Documenta, the Venice Biennale, and the Paris Biennale, and he has been the subject of solo shows at Tate Modern, the Palais de Tokyo, the Menil Collection, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona. His work has sold for six figures at auction and belongs in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Centre Pompidou, and the Tate, among other institutions.