June 17, 2019

Over a 70-year career, Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis, born 1925) has created some of the most innovative art of the 20th century.

Takis's work seeks out the essential poetry and beauty of the electromagnetic universe. He was one of the most original artistic voices in Europe from the 1960s and remains a pioneering figure today.

This the largest exhibition of Takis's work ever held in the UK, bringing together over 70 works. Throughout his career he has produced antennae-like sculptures he calls Signals, and musical devices using magnets, electricity and viewer participation to generate resonant and random sounds. Such inventions earned Takis the admiration of the international avant-garde, ranging from the American Beat poets to artists such as Marcel Duchamp.

At Tate Modern visitors will encounter forests of Signal sculptures and magnetic objects inspired by radar. The thunderous sounds of Takis’s Musicales, his Silver Musical Sphere and his Gong will complete the journey.

This exhibition is organised by Tate Modern in collaboration with the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona and the Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens.