Artist Database

Yaacov Agam is a world renowned Kinetic artist that delves into themes of progress, time, and viewer engagement. His work marks a significant departure from traditional painting and sculpture, embracing Kinetic and Op art techniques. These works often shift and transform through manual manipulation or as viewers move around them.

Agam studied in Jerusalem, Zürich, and Paris. In Zürich he studied under the colour theorist Johannes Itten before moving to Paris in 1951, where he currently resides. His creative pursuits extend beyond the visual arts to include theater, architecture, filmmaking, writing, and typography, all intertwined with concepts of time, change, and movement. His work has been featured in numerous global exhibitions and installations including at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as in St. Louis, Paris, Düsseldorf. Retrospectives include at the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris (1972) and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York (1980). His work is represented in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.