“I don’t make machines. I make the invisible.”
Takis, 1969

With these words, Takis withdrew his own work from the exhibition The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age at MoMA in New York. And, indeed, there are moments when art, infused with ingenuity and inventiveness, seems to transcend human limitations. That was the sense I had as I walked through the halls of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation. One hundred years on from his birth, Takis’ work appears ageless. Neither strictly “modern” nor purely “contemporary,” it seems to escape the constraints of time altogether and become something else entirely: timeless. A reflection, in many ways, of the artist himself.

Takis was far more than a sculptor. He was a poet of energy; an inventor of immaterial forms; a conductor of the subtlest vibrations and the truest inner landscapes.

The retrospective Takis 1∞, staged simultaneously in Athens and Andros from June 22 to November 2, 2025, is a cultural event of international scale. With more than 150 works—ranging from sculptures and jewelry to his iconic Signals and provocative “Erotic” pieces—the exhibition retraces the arc of one of the most radical artistic voices of the 20th century.

Takis: An Eternal Seeker

Born in Athens in 1925, Panayiotis Vassilakis came of age during a harsh era marked by poverty and war. Without any formal training, he began creating on his own, driven more by a personal urge for expression than any academic theory. His early sculpture drew on ancient Greek mythology and the emaciated figures of Alberto Giacometti. But even then, it was clear this young artist would not be bound by forms or conventions.

Takis’ art never sought to interpret the world; it sought to listen to it.

In the early 1950s, he left Athens and launched himself into an international orbit. He soon emerged as a key figure in the kinetic art movement—though he himself resisted all labels. During that same decade, he discovered magnetism—not just as a natural force, but as an artistic medium.

As exhibition curator Maria Koutsomalli-Moreau explains:

“In 1959, at 34 years old, he came to the realization that the magnet could become matter, and that the raw material of his creativity would be the invisible.”

It was a turning point. From that moment on, his art would move, hover, pulse—and even make sound. As Takis often said, “Everything is magnetism.” His understanding of magnetism not as science but as poetics was revelatory. Metal was no longer heavy; it levitated. This unwavering commitment to his personal path eventually took him to MIT, where he worked alongside engineers and physicists. He was one of very few “artist-inventors” —if not the only—to officially patent his creations.

Toby Kamps, co-curator of the exhibition and Head of the Modern Art Collection at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, spoke of Takis with deep affection:

“I was told he could read minds. So I went to meet him without saying a word or even thinking anything. And yet, within minutes, we had connected. I loved him instantly. He was a remarkable man, part of a global movement that redefined art and technology.”

And he adds:

“Takis’ work is ethereal. Biblical. Alive. As he once said: A work that doesn’t move is dead.”

Takis in Athens and Andros: A Holistic Exhibition Worthy of Its Maker

Takis 1∞ marks the first time the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation has dedicated both its museum spaces entirely to one artist. “To truly showcase the scope of his work, we needed all our venues,” explains Koutsomalli-Moreau.

In Athens, the focus is on Takis’ relationship with magnetism—from his early Tele-sculptures and Tele-paintings, in which metals seem to float miraculously, to his electromagnetic spheres and musical sculptures.

Here, magnetism is not a scientific term—it is a poetic language. A central piece is the legendary Impossible – Man in Space, a performance first staged in 1960 at the Galerie Iris Clert, Paris. Takis collaborated with South African poet and close friend Sinclair Beiles, who during the event read from the Magnetic Manifesto:

“I am a sculpture… There are others like me. The main difference is, they cannot speak… I would like to see all nuclear bombs on Earth turned into sculptures…”

The audience, caught between awe and confusion, witnessed a moment that remains hauntingly relevant even today.

On Andros, the exhibition presents a lesser-known but equally compelling side of Takis: his youthful, hypnotic Spirals, and the daring Erotic pieces of his later years. Here, the famed forest of Signals lights up the museum’s outdoor space with more than 30 metallic sculptures. It was upon seeing Takis’ Tele-lights that Beat Generation icon William Burroughs exclaimed: “For the first time, I see metal breathing.” A phrase that captures the liveliness and transcendence of Takis’ creations.

As Koutsomalli-Moreau aptly puts it:

“Takis wanted his art to move everyone—not through explanation, but through feeling.”

Menia Kouli, Director of Communications and Public Relations at the Takis Foundation, reflects:

“I had the privilege of working closely with him for over two years. That’s why I know Takis would be truly delighted with this exhibition.”

A Cultural Event with Depth and Dimension

The Takis 1∞ exhibition is complemented by a rich program of events designed to deepen the visitor’s experience and broaden their understanding of his work. A comprehensive bilingual catalogue—Greek and English—has been published, offering rich visual and interpretive content.

Guided tours are available in both venues and in both languages, with options for private or group visits. In Athens, a special interactive experience has been developed using QR codes to explore the works.

Educational workshops for children aged 5–7 and 8–12 will take place on Andros (July 23–August 31) and in Athens (September–November). Meanwhile, the new audio documentary series B&E Goulandris Podcasts will offer a five-episode sound journey into Takis’ world through the voices of collaborators, art historians, and those who knew him personally.

As part of the broader initiative, Menia Kouli also announced the release of a limited-edition collector’s coin by the Greek National Mint (1,000 pieces) in October, along with the launch of a new map showcasing Takis’ public artworks in cultural venues and museums across Greece.

All of these initiatives form a rare opportunity to (re)discover one of modern Greece’s most groundbreaking artists.

Let’s Call It What It Is

The Takis 1∞ exhibition is not just “worth seeing.” It is not just another distinguished entry in the year’s cultural calendar; it is a national imperative. A long-overdue and ultimately generous homecoming for a Greek artist whose light has long shone bright abroad.

If you’ve seen Takis’ works at the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, or the Menil Collection, now is the moment to experience them where their first spark was born—in Athens and Andros. And if you haven’t yet encountered his work, this is the perfect place to begin.

Exhibition Information

Curators
Maria Koutsomalli-Moreau, Head of Collection, B&E Goulandris Foundation
Toby Kamps, Head of Modern Art Collection, Hamburger Kunsthalle

Scientific Advisor
Pinelopi Sideri, Vice President, Takis Foundation

Scenography
Paraskevi Gerolymatou, Andreas Georgiadis

Exhibition Dates
June 22 – November 2, 2025

Athens Venue
Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation
13 Eratosthenous St., Athens 11635
T: +30 210 725 2895
Email: visit@goulandris.gr | Website: goulandris.gr
Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat & Sun 10:00–18:00 | Fri 10:00–20:00 | Closed Tuesdays

Andros Venue
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chora, Andros 84500
T: +30 22820 22444
Email: andros@goulandris.gr
Opening hours: Daily 11:00–15:00 & 18:00–21:00 | Monday evening & Tuesday closed