Greek kinetic art pioneer Takis dies at 93

Takis (Panagiotis Vassilakis), a pioneering figure in kinetic art known for his electromagnetic sculptures, died at age 93 in Athens. His foundation confirmed the news. Born in Athens in 1925, Takis was a self-taught sculptor who left Greece in 1954 for Europe. In Paris, he connected with Yves Klein and Jean Tinguely, and began experimenting with magnets, creating 'telemagnetic sculptures' first shown at Galerie Iris Clert in 1959. He patented his electromagnetic invention with the French Ministry of Industry in 1960. He later studied at MIT on a fellowship and returned to Paris. His notable works include 'Electromagnetic Sphere' (1979) at Tate Modern and the performance 'L'Impossible, un homme dans l'espace' (1960) at Galerie Iris Clert. His works are in collections of Centre Pompidou, MoMA, Guggenheim, De Menil Collection, Tate Modern, and Peggy Guggenheim Collection. He created a 3,500-square-meter installation of 49 'Signaux Lumineux' at La Défense, Paris. He participated twice in Documenta, once in the Venice Biennale, and won first prize at the 1985 Paris Biennale. In 2001, the European Parliament honored his foundation for renewable energy work.